Sulphur Businesses Face Financial Delays Amid Recovery

Nearly three months after a deadly tornado hit the town of Sulphur, some businesses and homeowners face financial difficulties building back.

Debbie Alexander, the owner of Rusty Nail Winery, revisits the site of her destroyed shop every day. On Friday, she recovered tote bags printed with her logo buried among the debris.

She is currently facing a demolition bill for $100,000.

"And that's just for tearing it down," she said. "So, yeah, we just need money."

Currently, Debbie is operating her store online.

A couple blocks further, Jennifer Mayo is rebuilding her business, Flower Bluff.

"We've spent thousands of dollars on cleanup and still have a long way to go," she said. "Although recovery efforts were strong in the first month, we've been disappointed by the lack of ongoing support from the state."

Mayo said her business has not qualified for financial assistance from the Small Business Administration.

Recently, a recovery task force was launched to find new ways to bring money into Sulphur businesses. Its next public meeting will be Aug. 22 at 6 p.m., with a location yet to be announced.

This weekend, the Chickasaw Nation is expecting to draw more than a thousand visitors to Sulphur for its 9th Annual Holba' Pisachi' Native Film Festival.

"It does help the economy out in this area," said Fran Parchcorn, the executive officer at the Chickasaw Cultural Center. "We are wonderful partners with the Sulphur Chamber of Commerce. It's going to help out a lot for everybody."

Parchcorn estimates that 80 percent of their visits come from out of town. She said the tornado caused some doubt about whether the event could continue this year, but organizers and key people remained committed.

"The people in this area, in Murray County, if anything, they are some of the most resilient people that I've ever been around, and, this place is going to rebuild," she said.