OxfordPress.com

Terry Coley, owner of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant in downtown Dayton, tells a story familiar to many area business owners.

The Sept. 14 windstorm and accompanying power outage that roared through the area left his business without electricity for nearly 10 days, forcing him to close his doors to customers and sales. The restaurant reopened Wednesday, Sept. 24, a day after Dayton Power & Light crews restored power to the eatery.

Coley said the closure was expensive not just for him, but also for employees who couldn't work while the 410 S. Main St. eatery was closed. He has filed a claim with his insurance company, but doesn't expect to recover all the money lost while the restaurant was dark, he said.

Coley said he called DP&L numerous times before he got to speak to a live person. And, he also watched as several neighboring businesses had their electricity restored, even as his store remained dark.

But he remains upbeat. He understands that — particularly in the windstorm's immediate aftermath — utility crews needed to focus on getting power to hospitals and other priority customers. He's also grateful that his store wasn't vandalized while it was closed.

"You come away from this just thankful — thankful it wasn't worse," he said.

Mary Bonelli, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Insurance Institute, said for insurers the windstorm resulted in a variety of claims by businesses, ranging from roof damage and torn siding to the loss of refrigerated products after the power went off. While her organization still is gathering information, Bonelli said claims for business interruption will make up a large part of total claims related to the windstorm.

Bonelli said business owners trying to recover from storm-related losses should start the claim process as quickly as possible. She also suggests that business owners work with their agents to tailor their coverage to the needs of their company. One company, for example, may need coverage for refrigerated products while another doesn't.