4 Annapolis Businesses, 1 Church Get $5K To Recover From Tornado

Annapolis MD

17 November, 2021

7:38 PM

Description

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Anne Arundel County on Nov. 10 awarded $5,000 grants to five Annapolis establishments damaged in the September tornado. Those awardees are: Annapolis International Market: A multicultural grocery store that opened in JanuaryChris's Charcoal Pit: A Greek restaurant that's been in business for more than 30 yearsCricket Wireless: A local cell phone providerPanther Auto Body: A repair shop owned and operated by an Annapolis High School graduateCecil Memorial United Methodist Church: A house of worship that has served the city for almost 100 years "We are so thankful for this grant," stated Mary Sellers, who owns Panther Auto Body with her husband, Pete Sellers. "Every little bit helps. We have spent so much fixing up our business, and we just want to say thank you so much." TD Charitable Foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of TD Bank, funded the $25,000 initiative. This Disaster Recovery Micro Grant Program was announced on Oct. 26 by County Executive Steuart Pittman and the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation. The awardees can use the grants for any legitimate business expenses, like equipment or inventory replacement, repairs and rent. Tornado Aid This is the latest round of relief for the tornado victims. The U.S. Small Business Administration last month announced low-interest loans and a support office to help Anne Arundel County residents with damaged property. This news came days after Gov. Larry Hogan asked the organization for assistance. Hogan also unveiled a $4 million plan to aid locals hit by the storm. He released that initiative shortly after the Federal Emergency Management Agency rejected Maryland's request for a presidential disaster declaration and its associated relief. RELATED: Tornado Can Shake Store, But Not Determination Of Business Owner Twister Details Anne Arundel County and Annapolis both declared states of emergency after a twister spawned from Tropical Depression Ida on Sept. 1. The states of emergency have since expired, but the damage still remains. The EF-2 tornado reached wind speeds of 125 mph while traveling from Edgewater to Annapolis and causing 3,924 power outages. In the state capital, the twister temporarily displaced 38 residents and left: 5 buildings destroyed25 condemned29 with major damage46 with minor damage Victim Recovery Fundraisers have collected thousands of dollars for affected businesses. A fall festival also supported three Edgewater families who lost their homes in the storm. The Annapolis Town Center additionally hosted a benefit concert that raised more than $10,000 for the victims, WMAR journalist Abby Isaacs shared. To learn more about that charitable show, check out WMAR's full story. Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. Download our mobile application from the App Store or Google Play. RELATED: Fall Festival Fundraiser Will Help Edgewater Tornado VictimsGrants Available For Anne Arundel Businesses Affected By StormsIda Disaster Relief Office To Open In Anne Arundel After TornadoMore Ida Relief Announced For MD Businesses, ResidentsIda Tornado: Hogan Offers $4M In Aid To Residents, BusinessesFederal Relief Money Denied After Anne Arundel Tornado: ReportConcert For Tornado Victims Raises $10KAnnapolis Tornado Leaves Businesses, Locals In Need Of DonationsTornado Can Shake Store, But Not Determination Of Business OwnerAnnapolis Tornado Town Hall To Help Residents WednesdayTornado Wind Speeds Hit 125 MPH On Path To Annapolis, EdgewaterAnne Arundel Tornado Cleanup Prompts State Of EmergencyAnnapolis Tornado: Dozens Of Homes, Commercial Buildings DamagedTornado Damages Annapolis Businesses, South River Stadium Have a story idea? Please contact me at [email protected] with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.