The News-Messenger from Fremont, Ohio • 2

2 The News-Messenger, Fremont, Friday, July 1, 1977 Home, business loss high; insurance advice given The damage to private homes, businesses and automobiles in Fremont as a result of Thursday night's tornado in Fremont could result in $1.5 million worth of total damages. That is a rough estimate that Jim O'Brien of O'Brien-Durnwald Realty and Insurance said various adjusters had come up with after surveying the city. Approximately 2,500 homes are damaged, according to O'Brien. O'Brien is chairman of the insurance catastrophe for Sandusky County. The storm damage will no doubt bring numerous claims to the local insurance agencies.

A brief survey of a few of the agencies brought some tips to home and business owners for filing their claims. The most important include: Contact your agent at once Repair any damage which would prevent further damage Keep track of any repairs that you make yourself Take a picture of the-damage or have the insurance agency take one for you All local agencies contacted said repairing roofs or other damage which to prevent further damage is paramount. "First of all they should take steps to prevent any further damage and by all means call their agent," said Jim Hanover of Butnam-Hanover. Hanover said the interior damage "is not of iprimary importance right now." He said they could wait to have the interior fixed when an adjuster comes. 'Gene Ohms of Ohms Insurance Agency also said it was important for owners to correct damage to prevent further damage.

"For your own negligence, don't cause any further damage," Ohms said. He also emphasized that an owner should keep track of everything he does. "That's the main thing," he stated, adding that the adjuster is going to take the property owner's word. "They are not going to be nitpicking at a time like this," he said. Lee Bowden of Bowden Insurance Agency said owners should "secure their property" before an adjuster comes and also said owners should take steps "to make sure there is no further damage." Sig Svanoe, a local agent for the Nationwide Insurance Agency observed that it would be helpful if a picture is taken either by the owner or an insurance agent.

"They should keep track of their materials and labor," Svanoe said, and he also added that repairing an open roof to prevent more water damage "would be helpful." The policies of the different agencies as well as the types of damage differ in each case, which makes getting instructions from the agent important, O'Brien said. O'Brien said that the agencies were considering setting up a central location for filing claims, but didn't think it would be necessary. "From what I see in the commercial losses each agent will be able to handle it themselves," revealed O'Brien. "There will be extra adjusters sent out." O'Brien said the local agencies appear to have everything in control on handling claims. "It's not a total disaster," he said.

"If the tornado would have touched down it would have blown whole buildings off and we would have had a Xenia." He said little structural damage, but considerable window and roof damage were reported in commercial establishments. County home damage may reach $4 million i if- V9 wmu flui-liim II I I been contacted and workmen were to apply some type of protective covering to the exposed sections before nightfall. Most courthouse offices were open and Martin and Commissioner Zene J. Smith were directing the cleanup operations which are under way at the damaged county buildings. Out of town and on vacation is Commissioner Chairman Ed Sours.

Martin and Smith were attending a social services committee meeting in East Side Park on St. Joseph's Street when the apparent twister hit. Smith said he took cover under a concrete table. Martin said he did not seek refuge under the tables, but added that he had one picked out if anything came flying through the air in his direction. By PETE GROH News- Messenger Staff Writer Sandusky County officials today stared at the debris-ridden, watersoaked Countryside Continuing Care Center and said it was a miracle its 130-plus patients escaped "without a scratch." The former Sandusky County Home located on U.S.

6 at the northeast edge of Fremont, received the heaviest damage of any public buildings in the path of last night's apparent tornado. Disaster Services Agency Director Ed Herman said damage to that county's facility may reach as high as $4 million. There was heavy roof and water damage at the county courthouse and yet undetermined roof damage at the School of Hope, located on Ohio 412, near the county home. Damage at the courthouse was estimated at $500,000 by Herman and County Administrator John Plahovinsak. County Commissioner J.

Robert Martin today said he was reluctant to place damage estimates on any of the county buildings until insurance adjusters have had a chance to examine them. There were to arrive today, Martin said. "I don't want to throw but figures yet, it would just mislead the public," Martin said. At the county home, ceilings fell under the weight of water that poured into the facilities when the roof blew off. There also was damage to one of the walls, according to Plahovinsak.

At the courthouse, huge sections of copper clad roofing were rolled into balls by the winds, exposing its wooden substructure. Water damage there was reported to the attic and to the law library on the third floor. Martin said a Toledo roofing company has A 'WM IIO Continuing care center evacuated Not much warning i at home One hundred and thirty-seven residents were evacuated from the Countryside Continuing Care Center (Sandusky County Home) when Thursday's storm tore the roof off the facility. School buses were used to help transport the residents to the Fort Stephenson building, the Villa Maria Nursing Home in Green Springs and to the Woodville Solomon Lutheran Church. Residents were wheeled to the buses through a half-inch of water on the two floors of the facility.

Two residents were taken to Fremont Memorial Hospital because they are quite ill, but there were no injuries reported. The staff at the Care Center received a short warning of the approaching tornado before the roof blew off, but there was not enough time to implement a recently instituted emergency procedure, according to Terry Niefer, director of housekeeping. The National Guard was asked to help secure the building. Sandusky Township Fire Chief, Robert Schabel, said the response for help was "unbelievable. They're coming out of the woodwork." Fire units from Lindsey, Woodville, Perkins Township, Margaretta, Gibsonburg and Republic responded to the Care Center to help with the evacuation and to stand by in case of a fire.

was only a four-Jninute warning given the at the Countryside Continuing Care Center before the storm struck with full lorce. -They were reportedly notified by the Sandusky County sheriff's deputies, one ot whom spotted a funnel ijoud in Scott Township. Sheriff Joseph Kindred said tne center's administrator instructed the department not warn them unless it is evident a tornado was heading In that direction. think in the future we should give them more of a Warning," he said. "Actually, there was very little warning to give." Government buildings damaged i 1 -'ft': Jk if i i II i I I I I 'i i 1 I City hall and the Sandusky County Courthouse were heavily damaged by the tornado winds.

The roof on city hall was lifted up and dropped back down on top of the building, The bell on the roof was torn away and it is unknown where it is now. Water poured through the ceiling seams and collected in the rarely used council chambers. Walls in some of the second floor offices in the beginning to buckle, according to Custodian David Frazier. "We definitely need a new city hall now," Frazier said. Bedding, clothing, drapes and canned goods were found among the ripped up trees in Library Park near the south ripping out the attic trap door in the ceiling of the third floor, police department are police in security and traffic control.

The sheriff's department was able to operate on auxiliary generator power until power was restored about 4 a.m. Even then it was not enough power to operate the radio. Fremont police communicated by walkie talkies for about an hour until the auxiliary generator was turned on. But that generator's fan belt broke, about 5:45 a.m., overheating the unit, leaving the police again without adequate lights and radio communications. Another generator was reportedly being sent by the National Guard.

Other Guard generators were used during the night to light the business district, the scene of the worst damage in town. west entrance. Birchard Library faired better than either the courthouse or city hall, with only two broken and several cracked windows. Several trees in Flag Memorial Park were lost, some falling around the fountain. Parts of the courthouse's copper roof were wrapped around the drinking fountain across Park Avenue from the building.

The Sandusky County Sheriff's deputies assisted million, according to Disaster Services Agency Director Ed Herman. (News-Messenger photo by Elizabeth Bobbitt) SOAKED ceiling tile litter the corridor of the second floor of the Countryside Continuing Care Center, formerly the county home. Damage at the facility may hit $4 A 7... 'A, Sound of the 'train sent them to ditch 'ffJ I stack of canoes by the river; they were not damaged but trees nearby were uprooted. "It was a weird storm," he said.

"The park was looking so beautiful and now it looks so awful," he said. Kashmer said he expects it to take two weeks to clean up the trees and limbs. He said that summer employes of WSOS may be distributed to the parks to help in the clean-up efforts. Referring to the 4th of July rainstorm in 1969 that flooded parts of northwest Ohio, Kashmer said, "It seems this always happens in the area around July 4. "I don't ever want to go through something like this again." Jeep increases daily production Totn Kashmer told his three buddies to start running for the ditch if they hear something like a railroad train coming.

No sooner did he speak the words than the three were scrambling for the ditch 100 yards behind the A-frame office at Portage Trail Park, 1773 S. River Road, Thursday evening. "I bet we did it in 10-seconds flat or better," Kashmer, owner of the canoe livery and Broken Paddle Campgrounds, said. "We were all scared." About 10 to 12 trees were uprooted in the park and approximately 50 all together were snapped during the apparent tornado. "The wind was so loud I never heard a tree fall," he said.

A new 35-foot camper trailer owned by a Toledo man was lifted off its pads and smashed against a tree in the campground. No one was in the camper at the time. "But four sites away, not more than 150 feet, people were inside a fold-out camper and the storm never touched it," Kashmer recalled. The same was true with a be thoroughly checked before anything else could be done. (News-Messenger photo by Bruce Crippen) TT IS UNKNOWN yet whether the spire at the First United Presbyterian Church, "Park can be repaired.

The Rev. Arthur Joachim said the structure would TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -Toledo's Jeep Corp. hired 150 new workers after increasing daily production from 600 to 630 jeeps, a peacetime record in production. The boost is the second one this year in an attempt to keep up with what company officials called a "tremendous demand" for the four-wheel drive vehicles. Daily output went from 500 to 600 three months ago.

The new output takes effect July 18, 'If in doubt, throw it out' Continued from page 1 plastic bags and wrapped securely, he said. in doubt, throw it (food) out," McNeely said. Frozen foods that have thawed should be eaten immediately if they have not yet reached room temperatures. The same holds true for home canned goods that have been frozen, McNeely continued. Frozen food that has thawed should not be refrozen, he said.

McNeeiy this morning instructed employes of the local downtown Woolworth's Store and the Fremont Hotel to dispose of all perishable food in their refrigerators. McNeely this morning also authorized Safety Service Director Warren Curtis to open the old city dump on Sand Road so that fallen trees, limbs and other storm-related debris can be disposed of there. blew down causing roof damage in wveral homes. AN AERIAL VIEW of Ohio Avenue shows extensive damage in the eastern residential area of town. A number of trees.