After nearly two months of being displaced, Jordan and I — as well as our staff — were beyond elated to get back into the swing of things at our office on Main Street.
On the morning of May 26, we, like many of you, awoke to the hail-acious windstorm that caused millions in damage to property and homes in Barry County. Although we lost one of our two front yard trees, we were thankful our house avoided any type of damage.
After going out to get photos for that week’s paper, I stopped by our office, as Jordan was worried the hail might have hit our bay windows. I pulled up to the front and was happy to see it hadn’t, but it was what I could not see that did the most damage.
The wind ripped a hole in our aging roof, and water poured in from above, damaging more than 90 ceiling tiles and destroying not only our carpet in the back of the office, but also the brand new hardwood laminate we had just finished laying in the lobby only two days before.
The timeliness of the damage, especially to the new flooring, was a punch in the gut, and I did not anticipate it would take so long to remedy.
The repair process was quite the learning experience. I had never previously dealt with insurance and a major property claim, and I hope to never do it again.
A term I had never heard before that last week in May was one that left us making some difficult decisions — recoverable depreciation.
Our policy was paid out as actual cash value, which is the estimated value of all damages, minus depreciation. However that’s calculated, what it meant for us is about a third of the total value was lopped off.
That five-digit sum we went without forced us to make some difficult decisions. We had to cut corners where we could — rotating some ceiling tiles and settling for a cheaper laminate in the lobby — and are still a few weeks out on a full roof repair. A quick patch has sustained us since, but it’s a band-aid that won’t last for long.
We’d been working from home while the insurance was determined and the repair projects completed. As nice as that was at points, I’m the kind of person that needs some separation between home and work. There’s no sink full of dishes staring me down in my Main Street office.
Our floors were finished on Thursday, and we came in on Sunday to clean up the 60 days of dust and put the lobby back together.
Even on Monday, it was noon before Jordan or I got to open out computers, and we still have another day’s worth of organizing before things are exactly how we want them.
It’s a work in progress, and after going on an on Monday night about how great it felt to be back in the normal swing of things, I can’t help but feel lucky our displacement did not last any longer.
Some residents are still dealing with damages to their homes and having to grit their teeth through alternative housing until they can get back to normal.
Our hearts go out to them, and we hope all their insurance policies had recoverable depreciation because it can make a world of difference in how much can be done.
While some remain displaced, many others are still working on debris cleanup, mostly downed trees and limbs that need transported to the city’s drop-off location west of the municipal airport. City employees asked this week that all debris be delivered by the end of August, as more than 20,000 cubic feet of debris is already stacked high, and another 5,00010,000 is expected.
Recovery is a long row to hoe, and the aftermath of May 26 is by no means remedied. Nevertheless, Barry County residents re resilient, and remedies will come.
As we continue to work through our remedies, stop in and see what’s already done! Things hadn’t changed for decades at the Democrat office, but they certainly look different now.
While you’re in, we encourage you to start a new subscription for the special price of $20. No matter the weather, the news never stops — and we will keep delivering it to you
Kyle Troutman has served as editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and owner/publisher since 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he is a two-time ISWNE Golden Dozen award winner. He may be reached at 417-847 2610 or ktroutman@cassville- democrat.com.
