Insights & Information

Storm batters church

A powerful thunderstorm that blew through Kernersville June 10 caused more than $10,000 in damage at Triad Baptist.

According to the images recorded on the church’s video cameras (see video below), Tim Shoaf, the church’s director of facilities, said the full force of the storm appeared to hit at 10:42 p.m.

That’s when the cameras stop being able to see anything and when a transformer blows on the light pole on South Main Street right outside Triad’s main entrance. The storm left more than 1,000 Eastern Forsyth county residents without power and prompted scores of calls to fire and police.

Several trees fell on Triad’s campus, damaging portions of the fencing around the playground and around the retention ponds by the new parking lot and soccer field.

The winds also destroyed the golf cart shed, dented the roof of one of the golf carts inside, blew out both panels of the church’s main sign on South Main Street, and broke the sign’s connection with the footings.

Shoaf said that the sign will have to be removed so new footings can be poured as part of the repairs. The church will also use the repairs to give the sign its first repainting in several years.

Contractors building the new Worship Center/Gym thoroughly inspected the new facility and found no leaks or damage.

The morning after the storm, Shoaf said that Pine Enterprises, the church’s landscaping company, worked for about two hours to remove the trees blocking the church’s main entrance. Meanwhile, volunteers from the Radiate high school and Crossing middle school ministries who were helping set up chairs in the new Worship Center/Gym temporarily got a new assignment.

They walked the soccer field removing limbs and leaves blanketing the pitch so it could be available for that week’s last Upward Soccer game.

“I’ve been here six years and this is the worst damage from a storm that I have seen,” Shoaf said. “I’m just glad it was later at night and when most everyone was gone. We’re fortunate the damage was not greater, and that no one was hurt.”

The repairs are expected to take several days to fully complete and are covered by the church’s insurance after the $2,200 deductible.

 

Phase 2 Shot of TBC B&W 17

Join us Sunday at

9:00am Traditional Worship
10:30am Contemporary Worship