Highway Department Lost Canopy, Shed Roof In Storm

Fentress County’s highway department lost part of a storage shed roof and the canopy over a fuel island during Saturday night’s storm.

Highway Superintendent Ryan Reed said half of the roof was blown off an equipment storage shed, about seventy feet in total. Reed said nothing inside the building was damaged, but he hopes to get the shed repaired soon.

“We’ve got most of everything cleaned up except the shed that the roof blown off and it’s still partially attached,” Reed said. “So we’re just waiting for insurance to come take a look at it and get started on the rebuilding process.”

Reed said the fuel island canopy is completely totaled as high winds broke the structure’s support cables. Reed said the fuel island is still operational and continues to distribute fuel for the county’s vehicles despite the damage.

“We just don’t have the canopy over our fuels pumps to protect them and everything from weather,” Reed said.

Reed said canopy tore down some forty feet of chain-link fence when it fell. Reed said the storm also ripped out a hundred feet of fence on its own at a different location in the county.

“We got the fence fixed back enough to keep honest people out anyway,” Reed said.