Oklahoma Glass Shops Tackle Tornado Aftermath
May 11, 2010

Mary Townsend with City Glass in Oklahoma City, Okla., says the calls started coming in at 7:30 this morning and she expects they will be busy all week.

Townsend works in the part of Oklahoma where tornadoes touched down yesterday, killing five victims and leaving many others injured. Likewise, many homes and businesses were destroyed or seriously damaged. According to a CNN.com news report, "officials said they planned to release more detailed damage estimates [today] -- and decide how to manage cleanup efforts in areas where tornadoes left behind snapped utility poles, downed trees and severely damaged homes." As for now, clean-up efforts have already begun for glass shops in the area, who tell USGNN.com™ they are busier than ever.

"We take the calls as they come in and accommodate the customers as quickly as we can," Townsend says. City Glass has been a family owned and operated business since 1958, and Townsend says they work with five wholesalers in the area, which helps ensure they are ready to take on the surge of calls they typically receive after a tornado.

"We're running deliveries all day," she adds.

Daniel Diaz, a co-owner of Duncan Glass, also in Oklahoma City, says his company is also extremely busy, particularly with a lot of calls from homeowners and businesses in need of replaced insulating glass units.

"We travel to the site and access the damage and then help the owners with their insurance needs and get them closed up as quickly as possible," says Diaz. "We make sure the windows are secured with either temporary glass or we board them up."

Diaz says the flow of the work has been strong, "but we know when it's coming and we prepare for the season. We make sure we're stocked up with plywood and other supplies and we have our workers on call," he says, adding that while they are extremely busy now, they never know how long that work will continue.

"With this storm, much of the work was centrally located," Diaz adds.

He says while his company does not handle auto glass, it seems much of the damage has been to vehicles due to hail damage.

"Last night alone I received about 20 calls for automotive work," says Diaz. "But we only handle residential and commercial work."

Forecasters are warning that more storms may hit the area again today.

CLICK HERE to read more about the tornadoes and watch a video.

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