Months after an EF-1 tornado swept through downtown Athens, a nonprofit working to revitalize the city has established two relief funds.

The Dec. 18 storm left destruction and uncertainty, taking the roof off the Limestone County Courthouse, uprooting trees and damaging about a dozen storefronts throughout downtown. Athens Main Street created the Business Storm Relief Fund, to help local businesses, and the Courthouse Grounds Restoration Fund, to restore the historic courthouse lawn.

“We started working on the relief fund the very next day after the tornadoes, because we were getting inquiries from our community about how they could help businesses and individuals,” Tere Richardson, executive director of Athens Main Street, told AL.com.

Through the Business Storm Relief Fund, $21,250 is being distributed to four local businesses that experienced significant disruptions due to the storm.

While many businesses endured damage, the priority for funding was given to those forced to close for extended periods – businesses that not only faced repair costs but also lost income due to interrupted operations.

Athens Main Street received four applications and awarded funds to all four eligible applicants. The nonprofit’s board allocated funds proportionally based on the extent of loss:

• CEI Bookstore – $10,000
• Bennett’s Clothing – $10,000
• Southern Throne Boutique – $1,000
• Broken Brush Art Studio – $250

CEI Bookstore had to close its doors for 140 days after the storm and Bennett’s Clothing, a family-owned business, also faced similar disruptions, according to Richardson.

“What is tough for a small business, is the business interruption. You’re losing the time that you are down, the profits that you could have made, the sales you could have made. That’s where we wanted to fill that gap,” Richardson said.

Several other local businesses and individuals contributed to the Business Storm Relief Fund, including Pepper Johnstone & Company, Mauldin & Jenkins, CPAs & Advisors, TBAKI, Valentina’s Pizzeria and Wine Bar, Splash of Ink Screenprinting Embroidery & Design.

Richardson said the community stepped up after the storms to help those in need.

“It was the morning after the tornado and so many organizations, the city, the county, a number of private and public businesses, volunteers worked together and absolutely pitched in,” Richardson said.

“It was just a real community coming together to get downtown back up and running so that our small businesses could bounce back as soon as possible.”

Athens Main Street has developed a conceptual design for the courthouse lawn and is currently reviewing it with stakeholders.

An update regarding the Courthouse Grounds Restoration Fund will be released in June, according to the nonprofit.

“We’re being very thoughtful about this restoration, because the Limestone County Courthouse is such an iconic part of our downtown,” Richardson said. “We’ve got several organizations that have stepped up to provide funds, and we will be doing more fundraising for that effort, too.”