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McCook Gazette

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Editorial

Neighbors helping neighbors after storm no surprise

Wednesday, August 10, 2011
McCook Daily Gazette

It was heartening, but not surprising, to see the number of friends and neighbors who turned out to help board up, mop up and otherwise help those whose homes were damaged in Tuesday evening's hailstorm.

It will take a long time to tally up the damage, but it will easily be in the millions of dollars just in McCook, even without counting crop damage in a wide area of Southwest Nebraska.

That's especially true given the price of corn.

It will be a good time to be in the glass, auto body, siding and roofing business, and insurance agents are probably having a hard time keeping their cell phones charged up.

It's a good time to remind homeowners to be on their guard for fly-by-night repair crews, and to only deal with reputable people we know.

If you're not sure, check references, ask how long they've been in the business and what they specialize in, and don't sign any contracts until you're satisfied.

But don't hesitate to accept help from your friends and neighbors when they offer, as we know they will.

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  • The last time McCook received a "nasty" hailstorm, a swarm of hailchasers descended on the town like locusts. Several self proclaimed "local" roofers did such things as drop debris shingles in the attics of the houses they were roofing, didn't install new components, and split town without paying their bills. When home owners and suppliers began to catch on, it was too late, and that "local" phone number they installed temporarily was disconnected.

    Coming from the construction trades, my advise is to stay as local as possible. If you do have problems, you're likely to run into your contractor at the grocery store. And from what I've seen, most of the locals are quite happy to take care of any problems that you may have.

    A few names to trust just for reference:

    Weathercraft Roofing

    CTE

    Sam Frandson

    I've used all of these companies with very satisfactory results.

    There are other locals out there that do a fine job as well.

    Just some friendly advise, pay caution to the repair companies that don't have local license plates, or you may be paying a much higher price a year from now.

    Also beware of rogue siding companies, auto body repair companies and glass repair companies. Its been my experience, that to wait a bit longer to have a reputable repair company service your needs may seem difficult to wait for but well worth the patience.

    Good luck to all those victimized by Mother Natures wrath.

    -- Posted by Nick Mercy on Thu, Aug 11, 2011, at 10:54 PM
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