Several Branson businesses suffered damage during the early hours of Feb. 29 as an EF-2 tornado traced the Highway 76 strip east into downtown Branson and Lake Taneycomo.
The Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau has reported that nearly 15 of Branson’s roughly 200 hotels sustained significant damage as a result of the storms, as did at least five of the city’s more than 50 theaters and about six of its 100 attractions.
Most of the city’s tourist destinations were spared, which could spell good news as the city works to clean up in time for its tourism season, which historically runs spring through fall.
Downtown Branson
As a result of damage caused at the Branson Convention Center and the attached Hilton Hotel, the downtown conference center has been closed for repairs that likely will dip into the city’s prime tourism dates.
Repairs are expected to keep the convention center and hotel closed for 90 to 120 days, said Rick Huffman, managing partner of HCW LLC, developer of the city-owned convention center.
“That one took the biggest hit,” Huffman said, noting that less damage was sustained at HCW’s other properties in the area, Branson Landing and the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing.
Though Huffman said HCW hadn’t yet determined damage estimates, he said about 50 panes of glass in the hotel and convention center were damaged beyond repair, and roughly 60 percent of the building’s glass was fractured. He said the panes are made of a custom colored glass that would take about 60 days to ship to Branson.
Minor damage was sustained in the interior of the hotel, but a portion of the roof was blown off the second floor above the hotel bar, causing water damage as the building was exposed to the elements.
Huffman said several conference center events that would have fallen within the next 120 days would need to be rescheduled.
Among them is the March 10–13 Missouri Staff Development Council Show-Me Professional Development Conference with an estimated 900 guests and the April 20–21 Branson Collector Car Auction with an estimated 500 attendees, according to
BransonConvention.com.
None of the stores or restaurants at the Branson Landing sustained significant damage. According to a news release from Branson Landing officials, the outdoor mall remained closed March 1, and it was anticipated that the majority of its retailers and restaurants would be open for business the following day.
The Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing was hit, but Huffman said only one of the hotel’s two towers was damaged, causing it to be closed for a couple weeks to repair glass damage.
Highway 76
As the tornado carved its way down the Branson strip, several businesses in its path were damaged and, as of press time, many were closed pending repairs.
Those businesses included:
- 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.
Immediately following the storms, roughly 9,400 customers of Joplin-based Empire District Electric Co. reported power outages.
Post-tornado efforts
Branson is host to as many as 8 million visitors per year, and efforts are under way to prepare for the city’s usual influx.
The Branson chamber and CVB reported that 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.
In an interview posted on the Weather Channel’s Web site, Branson Mayor Raeanne Presley was quoted as saying, “We’re a little ahead of the height of the season, so I’m certain that within a few weeks, we’ll be up and open for business.”
Gov. Jay Nixon has signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency in response to storm damage in communities such as Branson, Buffalo, Cassville, Lebanon, Kimberling City and Oak Ridge. Nixon’s executive order activates the State Emergency Management Plan, allowing local business owners affected by the storms to seek federal and state assistance in recovery efforts.
According to the Branson chamber and CVB, the city has only been struck by tornadoes twice in the last two decades, and neither time caused significant damage.
Tornado recovery efforts are being managed by AmeriCorps St. Louis, with representatives working out of the Branson chamber and CVB, which did not sustain damage from the storms. Both organizations are calling for volunteer aid, and those interested can e-mail
ACSTLBranson@gmail.com or sign up at
VolunteerBranson.org.
