Blizzard: Bookmans / Jo-Ann’s Damage
Preface: The series of storms that has been rolling through the southwest since Monday night has been called the biggest storm of the last decade by some. Several feet of snow has accumulated. The Navajo and Apache counties declared a state of emergency Thursday. In Flagstaff, damage is being done to buildings as roofs buckle under the weight of snow. One of Arizona’s most treasured small retail chains, Bookman’s, was one of the businesses to take a fatal hit from the storm. APSN reported the roof collapse around 10:30 last night. This afternoon, I trekked with a friend to take pictures of the damage. As we shot, regular people cycled in and out of the parking lot in disbelief and sorrow at the loss of the used book store. Last year, when nearby Hasting’s entertainment suffered a similar fate, few expressed such feelings of dismay. Here is the damage:
Part of the Bookman's sign dangerously hangs, partially peeled off of the building.
Full front of the Bookman's store.
The neighboring Jo-Ann's store sustained a similar amount of damage.
A side view near the entrance of Bookman's.
"Uninhabitable" stickers were posted on neighboring small businesses, including Burrito's Fiesta, Trader's Outlet, and Hastings. Most of the stickers were taken down by a city worker moments after this picture was taken.
Workers shovel snow off of the roof of Pier 1 Imports to prevent further collapse.