The Bluebird Farmstand received substantial support from utility companies to restore power and from the community during its closure. (Contributed Photo)

In late May and into June, severe weather wreaked havoc on East Texas businesses, causing operational interruptions resulting in thousands of dollars in losses.

Two businesses shared their efforts toward recovery after hundreds of trees and utility poles fell on properties across Tyler and the surrounding area, causing structural damage, electrical outages and boil water notices.

Both the Lake Palestine Resort and Bluebird Farmstand faced significant setbacks due to severe weather.

The Lake Palestine Resort, located at 8900 Ruby Lane, suffered extensive damage when an EF1 tornado struck it May 23. Within seconds, the resort had lost millions of dollars.

“Out of nowhere, the light rain turned into ferocious wind,” general manager Micah Wolfe said. “The amazing thing is nobody got hurt.”

The aftermath was devastating: Half a dozen RVs were overturned, 10 lodging cabins were completely destroyed, and approximately six others incurred significant damage. In addition, three boat storage houses were flattened, and numerous trees were uprooted across the property.

Nearly a quarter million dollars in lost revenue was lost, with estimated rebuilding costs totaling around $1.5 million.

The resort, which offers lakeside lodging and RV pads, activities like boat rentals, storage, launch ramps and fueling docks, a restaurant and grill and live music on most weekends, was shut down for about two weeks after the storm.

The business is mainly seasonal, with June being one of its busiest months. Wolfe said the resort has almost $100,000 in credits for guests who booked their reservations a year in advance and boat stall services that were cut short.

“It’s a horrible setback,” Wolfe said. “We’ve spent over $100,000 on cleaning up the property.”

The resort’s insurance company still needs to compensate the Lake Palestine Resort for its commercial claims.

However, Wolfe anticipates a payout will come soon. This compensation is crucial as it will aid in addressing customer losses, covering employee wages and alleviating cash flow concerns caused by the disaster.

“We’re to a point now where we’re starting to stock the store back up and everything. So we’re starting to return to some kind of normalcy,” Wolfe said. “We’ve still got some cleanup to do, but it’s starting to look a lot more presentable.”

Hundreds of volunteers pitched in on cleanup; other businesses showed understanding and responsiveness by accommodating the resort financially. The community has been crucial in helping the resort navigate the financial strain caused by the disaster.

The restaurant has reopened and live music has resumed at the marina. Wolfe has expressed optimism about restoring boat fuel and propane sales by the following week. He anticipates boat stalls and lodging facilities will be fully restored by the fall.

Wolfe encouraged guests to visit the marina on July 7 for a 15-minute fireworks display choreographed to music, where about 350 professional fireworks will be launched over the water.

Straight-line wind damage caused the roof of the Bluebird Farmstand to separate from the sidewalls, and an air conditioning unit ceased functioning. Following several days of closures for power outages, approximately $5,000 in sales and $8,000 in meat and produce were lost.

Bluebird Farmstand, situated near the Smith and Van Zandt County line at 11968 State Highway 64, specializes in farm-fresh produce, organic milk, pasture-raised eggs and local honey. The country store also features gardening supplies, homestead items, farmhouse decor and other unique farm-life products.

“We operate on a very small profit margin,” owner BW Ferris said. “It’s gonna take us three months, probably six months to recoup losses, you really don’t ever regain it.”

The business received substantial support from utility companies to restore power and from the community during its closure. However, additional exposure and continued community support are required to recover from its losses.

“We must have 15 trucks here working on the farm stand,” Ferris said. “We’re hoping to have more customer base in order to increase our sales, offset the loss, and have long-term sustainability.”

It’s hard to compete with big box stores, but there needs to be a comparison when it comes to quality.

The full-time farm stand offers chemical-free, naturally fertilized organic produce free of preservatives and coatings like Produce Maxx and Apeel. The eggs, beef, poultry, and pork are pasture-raised without antibiotics or RNA vaccines.

People can purchase plastic-free containers or bring their own to the refillery for organic laundry soaps, shampoos, body washes, cleaning supplies, and non-GMO avocado and olive oils sold by the ounce.

From specialty cheeses from Wisconsin, organic butter, and non-fructose soda to East Texas stoneware and BPA-free water bottles, the farm stand offers an array of healthy, clean options.

“We bring it all under one roof … we source so they don’t have to,” Ferris said. “Good, clean, healthy food the way great grandma used to probably have it.”

Despite challenges, both businesses have rallied with community support and are steadily recovering their services. The event prompted both businesses to focus on rebuilding stronger and developing plans to enhance safety and mitigate potential future disasters.

“We’ve been extremely blessed with community support, friends and family,” Wolfe said. “We plan to rebuild and have some exciting things that we want folks to come and share.”