Repairs are expected to keep the Branson Convention Center and the attached Hilton Hotel closed for 90 to 120 days.
Branson chamber assesses tornado damage
SBJ Staff
Posted online
In a late afternoon news release yesterday, the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau laid out initial reports of damage to businesses caused by an EF-2 tornado that touched down in the tourist destination early Feb. 29.
Reports show:
nearly 15 of Branson's more than 200 hotels sustained significant damage as a result of the storms;
at least five of the city's more than 50 theaters were heavily damaged; and
about six of the more than 100 attractions took significant damage.
During the storm, winds peaked as high as 130 miles per hour, and the tornado was on the ground for 22 miles and had a maximum width of 400 yards as it traced the Highway 76 strip east into downtown Branson and Lake Taneycomo, according to the Weather Channel.
Footage provided by Chopper Charter Branson
According to ExploreBranson.com, several Highway 76 businesses that were in the path of the tornado and high winds are closed pending repairs, including:
Angel Inn, Blue Bayou Hotel, Hall of Fame Motel, Hilton Convention Center Hotel, Ria Motor Inn, Ramada Inn and Riverboat Inn;
the Branson Variety Theater, the Americana Theatre, Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theatre/Legends in Concert and the Icon Theatre;
The Track's No. 4 location, Branson Auto Museum and Branson Veterans Museum;
Candlestick Inn, The Burger Shack, Charlie's Steak Ribs and Ale, the Hilton Convention Center's restaurant and bar, Midtown Café at Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theatre, Montana Mike's, Shoney's, Taco Bell and Time Out Sports Bar and Grill; and
the Salvation Army Branson Corps, Branson Mall, Jubilee Foods, Walmart and 76 Tire and Auto.
Springfield Business Journal's call yesterday to Candlestick Inn was unanswered.
Repairs are expected to keep the Branson Convention Center and the attached Hilton Hotel closed for 90 to 120 days, according to SBJ archives.
Major tourist attractions such as Silver Dollar City, Sight and Sound Theatre, Showboat Branson Belle, the Titanic Museum Attraction and Tanger Outlet Mall were undamaged. The Branson Airport also was unaffected, according to the release.
Joplin-based Empire District Electric Co. reported that as of 4 p.m. yesterday, roughly 2,500 customers in the Branson area and 2,700 customers in the Buffalo area were without power. Immediately following the storm, roughly 9,400 customers lost power. [[In-content Ad]]
