Friday, June 29, 2018

Midstate storms level family's fireworks businesses, causing $50,000 in damage

by Mikayla Lewis

FOX 17 News

LAWRENCEBURG, Tenn. (WZTV) —

Thursday afternoon storms in Lawrenceburg are taking a toll on homes and businesses with severe straight line winds ripping though.

The area just survived strong storms less than a week ago, and many residents are hoping for a break, like at a firework stand in the Walmart parking lot.

That's where the strong storms blew the porta potties, heavy tent and all its contents.

The Belt family has run a firework stand for years and says this was their first year at this location.

“This is our first year in the Walmart parking lot, we finally made it to the big time we thought. We were so excited.”

But excitement is gone with the wind Annette and Gerald Belt said.

"That wind it came in and we tried to ride the poles," the Belts said. "Took him like 8 foot up in the air before we gave up riding poles. And the rent just flew up and went away.”

After 16-years of running a family firework stand just down the road, the Lawrenceburg couple’s first time trying out a major location for its second tent got caught in Thursday afternoons’ round of storms.

“Every year you have a little bit of a storm that comes through, you always just try to manage it through and sometimes you just don’t make it. As you can see when you do, it can be devastating,” Gerald said.

The Belts estimate more than $50,000 in damage between this stand and their first location, where their sons worked today. It is also where Purcell’s Tents & Events crews are now putting up tents again after the storm.

“We lost one tent completely. It’s gone but I had another in reserve so we’ll get it up and get people going tonight," Steve Purcell, Purcell’s Tents & Events owner, said. "But we put a lot of work in it, and they do too. That’s how a lot of them make their living.”

“The money we make here we spend to go on our vacations and go and see our grandson," Annette said. "He turns a year old on August 16th and I have to make the phone call to say I don’t think I’m going to make it baby. Don’t really care about the fireworks, I care about that baby boy.”

With wet fireworks being dangerous, the Belts day they are waiting on Southern Boom to come pick up the damaged items right now. The only thing that didn’t move this afternoon, they say is their generator.

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