OTTAWA, Kan. -- The Village Inn in Ottawa, Kansas sat vacant Thursday. The doors to all of the 18 rooms were open, but one look inside, and the storm damage was clear in 15 of those rooms.
"The winds blew the roof completely of the building, we're just thankful no one was hurt," said Glover Clawson, a friend of the family that owns the Village Inn. "They're staying busy and they're taking it hard. It's a big investment for them," said Clawson.
Clawson heard the hail pounding the Inn Wednesday afternoon, but had no idea of the damage until a tenant offered her condolences.
"One of the guests came in and said, 'Sorry for what happened', and they said the roof was leaking," said Clawson.
The roof wasn't just leaking. Winds from a powerful microburst blew the tin roof into a nearby field.
Clawson spent the day on Thursday working on a generator to power a pump to remove the rain water, and cleaning.
The owners are waiting for insurance adjusters to decide if the inn will have to be completely rebuilt. Meanwhile, they are salvaging whatever they can.
