Less than a week after an EF-1 tornado carved a 4-mile path across San Antonio’s Northwest Side, cleanup efforts have transformed many of the hardest-hit areas. However, recovery is expected to take significantly longer at the location that sustained the most severe damage.

Local Businesses Affected

The tornado touched down Wednesday morning, remaining on the ground for about eight minutes before dissipating. It left behind damaged businesses, downed trees, and structural damage along its path, but no serious injuries were reported.

One of the areas that has rebounded quickly is the Santikos Palladium, a movie theater near The Rim. Although fencing remains around parts of the property, the theater has reopened, and signs direct customers that it is operating normally.

Resident Response

Mike Segovia went to the theater for a movie, but after seeing images of the storm’s destruction, he said he was surprised by how much progress had been made. “When my daughter invited me to the movies, I’m going, ‘Is it up and running?’” Segovia said. “‘Yeah, Dad, it’s ready to go.’ So I couldn’t believe it. I actually wanted to come and look at it myself. As I look around, where are the trees that were down? I don’t see too much damage right now, and I’m grateful for that.”

In the Tanglewood subdivision, residents said crews responded almost immediately after the storm. While some broken and uprooted trees remain, much of the debris has been cleared from neighborhoods and front yards.

Recovery Efforts

Gage Commercial Construction, which is assisting with repairs at the Oasis Apartments, said the recovery process for a project of that size will take several weeks. The company’s immediate priorities are stabilizing the property, restoring power and HVAC service, and then beginning reconstruction.

Original reporting: San Antonio, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.