Friday, July 5th, 2019
Contractors race to catch up on repairs
By Tom Stankard
Photo by Dan Melograna/The Daily Standard
James Calhoun of Henkle Construction, Rockford, cuts a 2-by-4 for a home's frame along Jessica Lane recently. Contractors are racing to rebuild the homes affected by the Memorial Day tornado.
CELINA - Already-busy contractors are responding to tornado victims as quickly as possible while also working on projects started before the twister hit.
"I've heard from folks that the builders are saying it may take months before they can even get started," mayor Jeff Hazel said this week.
RCS Construction Supervisor Galen Hesse said his first priority after the Memorial Day tornado was to help existing clients patch and put a tarp on their roofs and work from there.
"Even though we're busy, we're trying to make time for them while taking care of jobs we've already been working on," he said.
Already backed up four weeks before the storm, Joe Schlueter, owner of 21st Century Kitchens, said he is behind two months as he juggles numerous projects.
Like RCS Construction, Schlueter is repairing many homes of previous clients and friends, making it an emotional project.
"I really feel sorry for people with bad luck like that," he said. "I try to bend over backwards for them and do whatever I can to help and steer them in the right direction."
Part of being a contractor, Schlueter said, is ensuring the homeowners are in good hands and proceeding toward getting their homes rebuilt in a timely manner.
When Hesse first drove to victims' homes, he couldn't believe the scale of the damage.
"I thought this is something you're supposed to see on the news and see it happening in Oklahoma," he said, looking at Amy Moeller's house in the 1200 block of Jessica Lane.
"You think you've had a bad day once in a while, but at least you've got a place to live. Your day isn't as bad as you think it is when you look at something like this."
With her home damaged, Moeller said she is living with family for the time being.
"I know the contractors are very busy, but they got out here as soon as we knew what to do with the house and got to work," she said.
Luckily, no one in her family was injured in the tornado as she and her husband, Kevin, made it to the basement with their dog before it blew through her house, she said.
Due to the area's already prevalent housing shortage, Hazel said other homeowners have had to move elsewhere temporarily.
"It makes it more challenging," he said. "I've heard some insurance companies have victims move to Lima, Sidney, Wapakoneta and St. Marys. We've had a shortage for some time now."
As they deal with loaded schedules, many contractors have also had a tough time finding help, Hesse pointed out.
"If they can read a tape measure and have a basic knowledge, I would put them to work," Schlueter added.
Schlueter said he is glad to be helping the city try to get back onto its feet, but said "it will never be normal again."
"It will be a new normal. New houses are going up in older neighborhoods," he said.
