Morgantown: social service hub loses roof in storm
Hazels House of Hope was just weeks from completion
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) - What used to be an old Ramada Inn was transformed into a hub for social services in Mon county, but now the nearly $5-million project needs to be fixed up again.
Reports of wind gusts reaching 100 miles per hour ripped off the brand-new roof and flooded about 50 rooms -- nearly all of the third and fourth floors.
County Commission President Tom Bloom says he’s never experienced anything like it.
“I’ve been through two hurricanes and I live in Ashton Estates and I’ve never heard anything like this,” said Bloom. “For 20 minutes it was really something else, literally I couldn’t see you if I looked out the window.”
One of the social services at Hazels House is the Salvation Army.
Their lieutenant, Sheldon Greenland is glad that it was only their food truck that took some damage...
“The most important thing is that there was no loss of life, nobody was injured,” said Greenland. “That was amazing that nobody was injured; everybody from Bartlett House was safe all, the people that were in the building were safe, that’s the most important thing. Buildings can be fixed but life is very important, we still have hope when we have life.”
Greenland says this isn’t going to hold them back, they’re still running their food truck Tuesday across from the Morgantown Public Library.
About 30 people in total were displaced. The community worked together to temporarily house them in Hotel M.
Commissioner Bloom says teams are working around the clock to get the roof back up to prevent any further damage.
Reporting in Morgantown John Blashke 5 news.
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