Towns take different track in tornado recovery

Sunday, May 2nd 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ It's been five years since a tornado played havoc with Stroud, a town midway between Tulsa and Oklahoma City on the Turner Turnpike, and economic recovery remains elusive.

The town of 2,700 people was also damaged by a tornado in early May last year.

Stroud residents describe themselves as fortunate that no deaths occurred in either of the storms, but the town lost 600 jobs and numerous businesses after the first tornado and is still struggling.

City Clerk Gayle Thornton said sales tax receipts were $153,000 in May 1999. A year later the city collected $91,000. Last month the city collected $61,000 in sales tax.

Some of the this year's drop arises from a one-cent reduction in the sales tax, but much of the problem is a simple lack of business activity.

Chamber of Commerce president Judy Walkingstick said that in the last year, three convenience stores have closed leaving just two, the auto parts store closed, the furniture store is going out of business and the grocery store is struggling.

``These things just seem to be a continuation. The Industrial Authority is working hard, the Chamber is working hard, but it is really scary,'' she said.

The 1999 tornado wiped out the Tanger Outlet Mall, which, along with several other damaged businesses, never reopened. Last year's tornado damaged about 100 homes and a few businesses.

In 2000, Superior Bronze and Granite, a cemetery marker company, came to town promising to hire 200 workers, but by 2003 its doors were shut.

``There is just a lot of fear here. Fear that something else bad is going to happen,'' said Walkingstick.

But Stroud is not ready to turn out the lights.

Town officials announced last week that a $20 million medical plaza, including a 25-bed hospital, a cancer treatment center, a cardiology center, a women's health center, and a clinic is being planned for the former site of the 53-store mall.

The existing hospital will be remodeled into an assisted living center for older residents.

Walkingstick said that an oil repackaging business that relocated from Texas is also doing well.

``There is just no quick fix. It is just frustrating when I walk out the front door and see vacant buildings and know there is a problem with absentee landlords,'' she said.

The tornado outbreak five years ago also dealt a major blow to the tiny town of Mulhall, located about 45 miles north of Oklahoma City. It destroyed 89 of its 116 structures.

But five years later, with a combination of government assistance, private contributions, insurance and hard work the town is flourishing.

It has a new fire station, businesses, family center, post office, grade school, churches, houses, a water tower and even brand new water pipes and paved streets.

``It's like having a brand new town,'' said Gilbert Forrest, a resident of the town.

But the thing he misses the most is the trees.

``There were old American Elm trees that were more than a 100 years old and so big two men could hardly reach around then,'' he said.

``For the most part people have had a pretty positive outlook on what has happened,'' Forrest said.