Area Glass Businesses Talk About the Impact of the Recent Oklahoma Tornado

Yesterday's tornadoes that ripped through homes and businesses in Oklahoma have devastated much of the area between Dallas and Oklahoma City. Destruction to area businesses and homes includes glass that will need to eventually be replaced or repaired, though the full impact of the storm to area glass businesses hasn't necessarily been felt by everyone just yet.

Jan Fleharty of Allied Glass Co. in Oklahoma City says her company has not yet received too many calls other than for replacement work at a few of their area accounts, such as local restaurants and daycare centers. She also says she does not expect to receive many calls for repair or replacement since there was so much total destruction of buildings and residences. Fleharty noted, though, that the area where her company is located didn't receive as much damage as other areas, such as Lone Grove and Edmond. (Editor's note: at press time USGNN.com had attempted to contact businesses in Edmond and Lone Grove but was unable to reach anyone for comment.)

Ardmore, Okla., just a few miles from Lone Grove, also saw serious damage. Randy Hendershott with Arbuckle Supply, a company that does window and glass replacement, told USGNN.com that there was a lot of residential glass damage in his area, though, like Fleharty, he had not yet received a massive amount of calls. Considering the tough economic state of the industry right now, he told us that he is hopeful he will soon see some extra business.

And unlike hurricane-prone areas such as South Florida and the Gulf Coast where residents and businesses often have time to prepare for a storm, Hendershott says you can't really prepare for a tornado "other than just taking cover," he says.

Stay tuned to USGNN.com for more reports and news from Oklahoma as they become available.

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