Storm rips into Granger business

GRANGER, Texas - On Thursday, a severe storm ripped through Granger. Wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour left a trail of damage behind. One business hit especially hard was the Cotton Country Club. 

"I think I had like a one-minute warning. People called and said that the storm was headed directly towards Granger, take cover,” said owner Jamie Church.  

When she checked on her business, she found what she estimates to be $50,000 worth of damage. 

“So, the roof is gone, the brick wall on the interior is completely down, which damaged all the contents that were inside. The electrical has been completely ripped out and exposed, so we had to shut the electrical down so that we didn't have a fire, but everything is pretty much 100% washed,” Church said. 

Church said she had just finished a new outdoor addition last week, but all that hard work is in pieces now. “This is definitely going to set us back for quite a few months,” said Church. 

It's not good timing. Church was already struggling to make ends meet in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. 

“It's a complete challenge from a business standpoint. Your business is just at the point where it's prospering and then it comes to a complete screeching halt. So, it's painful. I have employees 18 employees that have not been paid in a month,” Church said. 

She has been doing what she can to make the best of a bad situation. After shutting down the club in mid-March, she started the Meals that Matter program to feed the elderly in Granger.

 "I cook meals for probably about 60-70 people in the community and deliver them every day, so it's heartwarming for me. Gets me through it,” said Church. After this, getting through it will be even tougher. 

“Right now, if we have to keep our doors closed much longer, we're probably not gonna survive it. And this business was started over 20 years ago,” Church said.  Even so, she's focused on the silver lining. 

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“We can sit and dwell on all of the bad things and the cards that we've been dealt, but it can always be worse. And I'm thankful nobody was hurt,” said Church.

To donate to the Meals that Matter program or simply to help out the Cotton Country Club visit this link.