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Roof ripped off Franklin business during Wednesday's storms

Posted at 7:17 AM, Mar 29, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-29 17:40:31-04

A Robertson County business has some repairs to make after 70 mph wind left its mark.

It was about 5 a.m. Wednesday when Franklin Wash Depot owner Andy Reed got the call from the Robertson County Sheriff's Office.

"[They] asked me if I was the owner and said, 'Well, we have some bad news for you.' Came down here immediately and saw that most of the roof was gone," Reed said.

Strong winds ripped the roof from its frame.

"[I was] just in shock. Didn't know what to do," he said. 

The winds also sent parts of it crashing into a sign nearby.

"It sounded like a train crashing into another train," Laura Dessell, who manages the CEFCO next door, said. 

She was getting ready to start her work day when it all happened.

"I don't know if a tornado came through or straight-line winds. It was epic. And it flew. It decimated the top of the cleaner's roof from what I can tell," she said.

Dennis Darnell, who washes his clothes at the laundromat every weekend, couldn't believe the damage.

"Never expect this in my life in Franklin. Not in Franklin," he said.

Drone footage from up above captured the destruction those winds left behind. The video showed the part of the building where the winds lifted the roof. Debris was scattered throughout the property.

For Reed, getting back to business is his top priority.

"The laundromat is something a lot of people rely on. Looks like we're going to be out of business for a while, but we'll get it back together pretty soon and hopefully not disrupt too many people's lives," Reed said.

Reed's son was staying at the laundromat when parts of the roof were blown off. He wasn't hurt, and neither was anyone else.

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