A storm that went thorugh the area Thursday evening, Aug. 28, peeled the roof from the Lighthouse Thrift Store in Marshall. Store Manager Vicki Leslie said she expected repairs to begin almost immediately and she hopes the store will reopen very soon. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

An intense storm Thursday evening, Aug. 28, sporting high winds and frequent lightning treated the Lighthouse Thrift Store in Marshall none too gently, peeling the roof off the building like it was a can of sardines and flooding the interior.

The store was closed Friday as Lighthouse officials assess the damage and begin coordinating the clean-up process, but they were quick to assure patrons that the store will reopen and donations can still be made, although the specific location for dropping off items may change in coming days.

Store manager Vicki Leslie said another staff member got a call Thursday night from a relative who reported that the roof had been blown off.

When Leslie and another staff member, Venita Calvert, arrived at the store they could hear water running before they got inside. When they stepped in the store the water was ankle-deep, Leslie said, and was still pouring through the ceiling and down the walls.

Ceiling tiles litter the floor in the Lighthouse Thrift Store clothing section after a storm Thursday, Aug. 28, tore the roof from the building and allowed the rain free reign. Store Manager Vicki Leslie said some clothes will be salvageable. The store was closed Friday, Aug. 29, while clean-up and repairs begin. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

"There was water running everywhere," Leslie said.

"It was shocking," Calvert said.

Leslie said an exact estimate of damages is not yet available, but she knows much of the furniture and a significant number of clothing items have been ruined.

But the staff is prepared to do what it takes to get the store reopened.

A skylight can be a nice addition to a building, but in this case, the addition was unplanned. Sunlight filtered into the attic area of the Lighthouse Thrift Store Friday morning, Aug. 29, after a storm the night before ripped the roof from the buildling. Repairs and clean-up are already under way. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

"We're getting it cleaned up. We're staying here. This is our store," Leslie said. "We're going to get a new roof and we're going to regroup."

Leslie said the building owner, Carol Brown, had been very supportive in responding to the situation.

Leslie urged patrons to continue making donations. Lighthouse Shelter Executive Director Debbie Wallace said people could temporarily take items to the shelter on West Arrow Street until a decision is made about the best place to set up a drop-off point.

"We want people to continue to remember us," Wallace said. "We'll be down for a few days, but we'll be back up soon."

High winds flipped a semi trailer parked at Industrial Avenue and Commercial Drive in Marshall Thursday evening, Aug. 28, as a strong storm moved through. No further information was available about who owns or operates the truck or what cargo, if any, it contains. The storm also significantly damaged the Lighthouse Thrift Store in Marshall, destroying the roof and soaking items inside. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

The storm, which dumped nearly 1 1/2 inches of rain on Marshall in about half an hour, also came with high winds, possibly as high as 60 mph.

Another casualty of the winds was a semi trailer parked at the intersection of Industrial Avenue and Commercial Street.

No details were immediately available about the owner or cargo of the trailer.

Contact Eric Crump at marshalleditor@socket.net