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Worried Business Owners Survey Tornado Damage

WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Newswatch 16 spoke with a woman who owns a furniture store on Mundy Street in Wilkes-Barre Township. She says her whole busin...

WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Newswatch 16 spoke with a woman who owns a furniture store on Mundy Street in Wilkes-Barre Township. She says her whole business is destroyed after a tornado tore through the area Wednesday night.

Pictures show what is left on Ronny Kurlancheek's furniture store on Mundy Street where an EF2 tornado touched down.

She can't put into words what it is like to see her business like this.

"It's surreal. I can't see one piece of furniture in the store," Kurlancheek said.

She's not the only business owner that took a hit. The tornado damaged several cars at a dealership. A U-Haul storage facility also took severe damage.

Newswatch 16 spoke with people who are worried about their belongings inside.

"No one is letting me see. I have everything there. You know, memories. My dad's stuff there. My brother's stuff there. My dad passed away when I was very young," Zobaida Azad said.

Even with all of this damage, emergency managers say there were no fatalities and only six people suffered minor injuries.

Kurlancheek says she closed the store just before the tornado hit.

"I am just so happy no one was in the store because there is just furniture flung everywhere," Kurlancheek said.

Her family has owned the furniture store for more than 100 years. They've spent the last five at this location on Mundy Street. She is optimistic about having to rebuild.

"You get to change some things so it could be a rebirth. It is what it is. I'm sure it will be a better store."

The owners of the businesses that were damaged have been allowed to check them out. They are not allowed to go in them, just assess the damage from the outside.

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