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Storm cuts power, damages roof

Weekend movies postponed at Bedford Silver Lining Drive-in

A strong storm late Thursday ripped the roof off the garage at Clapper’s Wholesale Florist in Bedford. Courtesy photo

High winds ripped the metal roof off the garage at Clapper’s Wholesale Florist in Bedford late Thursday afternoon and left the Silver Lining Drive-In without power, resulting in the weekend movies being postponed.

While power was restored Friday to much of the area affected by the storm, the Bedford County Fairgrounds, where the drive-in is located, is supplied by both Bedford Rural Electric Cooperative and Penelec, said Kellie Goodman Shaffer, President-CEO of the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce.

The combined work on the power restoration wasn’t expected to be completed in time for Saturday’s showing of “The Little Mermaid” or Sunday’s “The Final Season,” which was planned to honor the PIAA Champion Everett baseball team.

Shaffer said she is unsure if it will be possible to reschedule “The Final Season,” as it was difficult to find a date that worked for the kids and wouldn’t conflict with other schedules.

“The Little Mermaid,” though, will be shown at dusk on Saturday, Sept. 3, free of charge, she said.

The bulk of the metal roof from the garage at Clapper’s Wholesale Florist landed in a yard next door. Courtesy photo

The power at the fairgrounds is expected to be completely restored in time for next Friday night’s races and that weekend’s showings of “A Night at the Museum” on Saturday, Aug. 13, and “Talladega Nights,” planned for Sunday, Aug. 14.

While the storm knocked out the power, scattered debris and took down a few trees in the Bedford area, the drive-in’s movie screen remained intact, Shaffer said.

The screen “is supposed to tolerate 130 mph winds … if we get that, we have bigger problems,” she added.

A few blocks away at Clapper’s, secretary Darlene Prime said everyone was just getting ready to leave for the night when the storm swept through the area.

“The top of our roof blew off,” Prime said. “We were here about five till five getting ready to leave, and it took the whole front of the garage roof off. It was crazy.”

The roof ended up across the road at the assistance office, she said, noting it wasn’t even raining when the sky got really dark.

“The wind came through and the next thing you know, our roof came off,” she said.

The metal roof got entangled in some power lines and trees, but the bulk of it landed in the yard next door.

Fortunately, the metal roof topped another roof that protected much of the garage area, Prime said, and the building sustained just a little water damage.

“We are very lucky,” she said. “It could have been a lot worse if someone would have been coming down the road.”

Shaffer said the storm dealt a double blow to the Everett baseball team, who were to be honored during Bedford County night at the Altoona Curve on Thursday.

“The rain was so hard and the wind was so strong, I could barely get my car door open” when leaving for the game, she said.

Once in Altoona and at Peoples Natural Gas Field, another storm popped up and the game ended up being postponed, she said.

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