LA County mobile units search for Montebello companies after tornado – Whittier Daily News
MONTEBELLO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 22: A utility worker walks near an uprooted tree after a potentially rare tornado struck and ripped open building rooftops in suburban Los Angeles on March 22, 2023 in Montebello, California. Another Pacific storm has hit California with heavy rain, strong winds and snow. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
To connect businesses affected by Wednesday’s tornado with recovery resources, officials from the LA County Department of Economic Opportunity set up its mobile unit on Date Street in Montebello for walk-in information on Friday, March 24.
And more such events will follow.
The department worked with the city of Montebello on Friday to search the site and get recovery information into the hands of people.
Onlookers of the tornado said they were shocked by the destruction, which seemed to come out of nowhere. Videos of flying debris have been circulating online.
While an estimate of the total cost of the damage was not yet available, it was clear that it was extensive in the area where the Twister touched down.
Tree branches were piled up along Maple Avenue, truck windows were smashed, and fences were thrown down. Arial footage of the scene showed industrial buildings having their roofs ripped off. A handful of businesses in the 1100 blocks of Maple and S. Vail Avenues have been deemed unsafe due to the damage.
Friday’s pop-up wasn’t the only initiative available. On Tuesday, March 28, tornado victims can meet with relief workers at The Ark Montebello on Maple Avenue.
Additional resources are expected to be available during Tuesday’s event.
Damage from a tornado that struck an industrial area of Montebello yesterday can be seen on three different buildings as rescue operations continue Thursday, March 23, 2023. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Keven Chavez of the Department of Economic Opportunity added that Friday’s pop-up was essential to the unprecedented event.
“We’re here today if they need anything right away,” added Chavez, who worked in the mobile unit. “There’s a general positive feeling that we’re right out here.”
Resource information distributed Friday included grant opportunities and legal services business owners and consumers might need after a disaster.
The needs of every business are different and depend on factors, said Michael Chee of the City of Montebello. Damage aside, each company has different insurance and liability coverages that need to be evaluated when recovery operations intervene.
“It all depends on the size of the company and the extent of its economic losses,” Chee added.
With roofs blown off exposing infrastructure to the elements, it’s unclear who had the right cover for a tornado. According to weather researchers, the risk of destruction from tornadoes in Los Angeles is significantly lower than in other areas of the United States.
In 2014, researchers found a corridor from central Oklahoma to Arkansas, northern Louisiana, much of Mississippi, western and central Tennessee, and the northern two-thirds of Alabama with the greatest tornado risk.
In addition, property, auto and other forms of commercial insurance can cover the cost of rebuilding or replacing damaged items – but not the losses that may occur during a business disruption. Business interruption insurance covers net profit, ongoing expenses and even exceptional expenses when a business is disrupted by natural disasters. However, this is typically reserved for small businesses with 100 or fewer employees and up to $5 million or less in revenue.
Tuesday’s resource fair will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at The Ark Montebello on Maple Ave.
