PEI

Repairs begin at Montague furniture store after Dorian rips off roof

While Islanders across the province continue to clean up after the weekend storm, Beck's Home Furniture in Montague, P.E.I., is getting to work fixing its roof, which was partially torn off Saturday.

'I pray for no rain this week'

Work to repair the roof at Beck's Home Furniture in Montague, P.E.I., was underway Monday. (Ian Carter/Facebook)

While Islanders across the province continue to clean up after the weekend's devastating storm, Beck's Home Furniture in Montague, P.E.I., is getting to work fixing its roof, which was partially torn off Saturday.

"We we lost pretty well our whole roof," says owner Barry Beck. "It just literally lifted half the roof off and threw it on the other side of the building."

Beck said the store closed some time between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday. A short time later, Beck said he got a call that the roof was starting to lift.

"We immediately had to come back to the store. And by that time the police had the area secured because ... the steel was flying from the roof and it was just projectiles and so they had to keep people safe and away from it."

A worker looks down at the remains of the roof that was torn off Beck's Home Furniture in Montague, P.E.I., during the storm Saturday. (Laura Meader/CBC)

Sorting out the damage

Beck said the first two floors of the building were largely untouched — there was a "little bit of leakage" from the third floor down to the second floor.

Inventory is now being removed from the third and fourth floors and then staff will determine what is salvageable.

Beck said he believes about 75 per cent of the items on the third floor are in good enough condition to be saved. He said he hasn't had an insurance adjuster assess the damage yet.

Beck said he's hoping the weather co-operates over the next few days.

"I pray for no rain this week," he said.

Beck said he hopes to have the phone line restored in the next couple days and that the store won't be closed for long.

"We're doing the best we can to to work in a timely manner," he said. "Hopefully our downtime will be minimal."

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With files from Laura Meader