Emergency crews were on site for hours after the roof was ripped off a student housing building in San Antonio by a tornado.
Zachary-Taylor Wright/MySA
It’s been one week since an EF1 tornado tore through the Northside of San Antonio, ripping roofs off student housing, tearing through popular shopping hotspots and reshaping the RIM. Now, it’s becoming clear how long it may take to reverse the damage caused by those 100 mph winds.
Jaws dropped and eyes were glued to screens on Wednesday, July 15, as residents surveyed the path of destruction. Videos emerged from inside The Oasis San Antonio apartments showing the roof being torn off, and hours later, emergency crews were on site trying to prevent further damage.
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“We are grateful that no residents or team members were injured during last week’s tornado. Our team mobilized immediately, with personnel on site to assess the damage and coordinate recovery efforts,” a spokesperson for Palladius Capital Management, which owns the apartments, told MySA.
The capital management firm confirmed that boots are on the ground making repairs, and officials expect most of the units at the complex will be ready for students by the start of the school year.
Only one building was severely damaged, Palladius Capital Management says. But that building sustained serious damage, according to Adam Stotz, the construction director for Gage Commercial Construction, the company that works closely with Palladius and was called to the scene within hours.
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In the first 72 hours, between 45 and 70 people worked around the clock to prevent further damage as rain poured through the missing roof. Stotz’s team was on site within a couple of hours of the catastrophic hit, securing the damaged building for safety and to keep out ne’er-do-wells. Remediation has been the top priority.
“I’d estimate probably a quarter of the roof was pulled off, and there seems to be quite a few units that are in need of full reconstruction,” Stotz told MySA. “On the side where the roof came off, basically every floor below received some sort of water damage from the heavy rains over the few days.”
Repairs could take weeks or months after a tornado ripped the roof off the Oasis San Antonio apartments on July 15, a housing complex for UTSA students.
Zachary-Taylor Wright/MySA
While the team at Gage Commercial Construction was able to build a temporary roof, stopping the influx of rain into the apartments, the team will continue to run dehumidifiers for weeks to prevent further damage. While a timeline is nearly impossible to pinpoint, with insurance claims pending and potential hurdles in the permitting phase of restoration, Stotz was understandably hesitant to give a timeline for repair.
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“I would anticipate us getting to the point where we can submit the plans to the city and start that construction process –– it could be several months before we get to that point,” Stotz said.
The RIM shopping center was among those hit hardest. The Santikos Palladium theater was shuttered for a day as wreckage from the building’s façade was strewn across the sidewalk. Marshalls saw letters ripped from its storefront and its front doors and ceiling tiles collapsed. And numerous restaurants had broken windows, toppled signs, and furniture strewn about.
While the sound of leaf blowers and lawn equipment could be heard within a couple of hours of the tornado touching down in San Antonio, as crews worked to clear the rubble from parking lots and walkways, the repair effort is still very much underway. Visitors to The RIM’s website are immediately met with a pop-up mentioning the ongoing efforts.
“In the wake of recent storm damage, we are actively working through recovery location by location and will keep you updated as each store resumes normal operations,” the message states. “If you are visiting us in the meantime, please exercise caution. There are downed trees and property damage in the area, and your safety is our top priority.”
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The Marshalls at The RIM was severely damaged by a tornado’s path through San Antonio on Wednesday, July 15. Doors were caved in, ceiling tiles collapsed and letters were ripped from the overhead sign and tossed several feet down the sidewalk.
Zachary-Taylor Wright/MySA
For those eager to nab deals at Marshalls again, it’s unclear when the store will reopen. A spokesperson told MySA they are working with their landlord to complete repairs and vowed to resume regular hours once they feel it’s safe for customers.
Just down the road from Marshalls, the Tribute at The RIM apartments took a hit as well. While the damage seemed run-of-the-mill amid the wreckage – downed trees, stop signs and misplaced signs – videos facing the courtyard inside painted a harrowing picture. Windows and glass patio doors were smashed, pool furniture was tossed and obvious wind damage covered the scene.
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“While the tornado caused significant damage to some of the surrounding buildings and the nearby area, we are fortunate that Tribute at The RIM sustained only minor damage,” a senior executive from Passco Companies, which owns The Tribute, told MySA. “Our team immediately, with crews on-site to assess the property and begin the repair process.”
She was not able to provide a timeline for when repairs might wrap up, but assured that teams are moving as swiftly as possible.
The Tribute at The RIM apartments, which were already under construction, were surrounded in caution tape Wednesday, July 15, after a tornado ripped through the shopping center.
Zachary-Taylor Wright/MySA