AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — The spectrum of emotions that surface in the aftermath of a natural disaster — anger, frustration, hope, pride among them — washed across Jeff Tucker's face as he reflected on a journey that he, in many ways, still finds himself on.
It was less than 22 months ago when Tucker's world turned upside down in a thunderclap: on March 31, 2023, twin EF-3 twisters, with winds clocked between 158 and 206 mph, ripped through the Triple T Tire & Auto Service Point S location in Covington, Tenn., leaving a catastrophic mess.
The tornadoes blew off every garage door in the 10,500-sq.-ft. facility, obliterated the south wall of the shop — the newest of five Triple T Tire locations in Tennessee — and damaged about 95% of the roof, taking off about a third of it.
Insurers put a price tag of about $1.2 million on building damage and $2.5 to $3 million in total losses, but the true cost of the physical, emotional and mental toll is astronomical.
"I'm having some PTSD," Tucker said half-jokingly, while recounting the ordeal during a break at the Point S Annual Owners Meeting, held Jan. 16-20 on Amelia Island. Tucker, CEO of Triple T Tire for more than three decades, also operates shops in Paris, West Dyersburg, North Dyersburg and Ripley.
It took exactly one year to reopen the Covington store, which initially opened in November 2021, but things are far from being back to "normal."
Tucker estimates the location, with 10 bays and a commercial shop, is about 85% to 90% back to its previous state. Sales were $1.5 million before the tornado struck; today he expects 12-month sales to hit a shade above $900,000, "not anywhere close to where we need to be."
With other tire dealers grappling with some of the same issues after their businesses were damaged by hurricanes, wildfires, floods or other natural disasters, Tucker shared some tips with Tire Business that can help fellow dealers through the painful recovery process.
The first tip is to ensure not only that your current insurance policy has a high enough limit to cover catastrophic damage, but it also accounts for increased cost to replace equipment.
Tucker said he was fortunate his insurance agent took care of him and his interests. Only a few lost possessions weren't covered.
"Make sure you set your limits high enough to account for increases in the cost of equipment, because a tire changer and an alignment machine are not all that's in that shop," Tucker said, listing spare tires, tools, etc.
"There's so much in there that we've already bought, paid for, and it's been there for years," he said. "You just don't think about it."
He didn't realize he had lost some items until he had reopened.
"There's so many things that you're gonna run across as you do business ... six months when you open. you're gonna be, like, 'Ah, I had that. Yeah, it's gone,'" he said.
He had to prove to the insurance company what he had and where it was.
"They'd walk up and ask, 'Where are the doors?' It's like, 'Well, we had a tornado. The doors are gone.'"
A second important tip: Reopen as fast as you can, without having to relocate, even while restoration work continues.
Tucker said nearly every building around his Covington location was destroyed, putting contractors in high demand.
"The insurance company was dispatching contractors for everybody. You were just in line," he said.
Contractors would agree to meet him at the store, then fail to show up.
If he had it to do over, he said he would have sought a contractor outside of the area in order to initiate the rebuild sooner.
