Habitat Thrift Store Flooded From Wednesday Night Storm

Wednesday night’s severe thunderstorms that rolled through much of Northeast Georgia left the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store in Lavonia with almost no roof and lots of flooding.

The store on SR17 was closed Thursday so volunteers and employees could clean up the mess.

Habitat was in the process of replacing the old tin and tar paper roof this week when the storm hit and flooded parts of the store.  Many of the acoustic tiles in the ceiling of the store either fell from the weight of the rain water or were bowed and ready to fall, Thursday morning.

Habitat Executive Director Cathy Wood said just before the rain hit, most of the old roof had been removed.

“They had peeled off the old roof and all we had on there was the original old tin roof, which is all rusted and has numerous holes in it,” she said.

That meant the old tin roof acted like sieve and when the inch of rain fell Wednesday night in Lavonia, much of that rain landed inside the thrift store. 

Wood said they hope to have the thrift store back open for business Friday.