BusinessTN

Not just one or two. Or even three. No, Jackson-Madison County has endured four tornado outbreaks in the last 10 years. The most recent twister that plowed through the county on February 5—killing two people and causing about $85 million in damage, almost half of which occurred at Union University—wasn't as bad as its destructive predecessor of 2003. That one took 11 lives, ransacked Jackson's downtown and damaged hundreds of homes and buildings. A 2002 tornado also had it out for Union, which again sustained the brunt of the storm's wrath with more than $2 million worth of damage. And in 1999, the first of this 10-year storm series killed six people, and like its more recent followers, demolished hundreds of structures throughout the city and county.

Yet, so far, the seemingly relentless forces of nature that have hammered Jackson and Madison County time and time again haven't halted the area's growth. In fact, most would agree that business is booming in the city that serves as West Tennessee's retail hub. Still, the area's bad luck as a tornado target seems to beg the question: How does Jackson's twister habit impact economic development?

Not surprisingly, it's a question that makes some members of the community cringe. Chris Allison of Jackson's Allison Insurance Group says he doesn't like it when people use terminology like that above, or phrases like "tornado alley," to refer to Jackson.

"We're not Oklahoma," Allison says. "We've had more than our fair share over the last decade, but every area gets its fair share. We may go 30 or 40 years without something serious. There's no predictive model for that, but there are 12 to 15 states that have to deal with the same thing."

Obviously, Jackson isn't the only Tennessee city that's found itself in the path of a major storm. And cities throughout the Southeast—within which Jackson primarily competes—are in the same boat. The February 5 tornado outbreak is a perfect example—its wrath was felt in Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi. And that's just tornadoes. As Allison says, "pick your poison"—if it's not a tornado, then it's a hurricane, earthquake, flood or some other natural disaster, regardless of where one does business in the United States.

Jackson Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Paul Latture says that while most domestic visitors understand the random nature of these storms, he occasionally gets weather questions from international customers looking at locations in Jackson.

"They'll ask, 'What is the weather like?' Do you have storms? Where do they go? When do they come?'" he explains. "But I refer to national weather service data. Even though it doesn't seem to be random because we've had our share, there's no greater probability that one will hit here than in Memphis."

Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist even wonders whether companies considering Jackson might look at the storms as a good thing—for surely, he says, it will be several years, if ever, before the city is the target of another one. Plus, Gist and Latture say Jackson's emergency preparedness is top-notch, and both agree that the response to the most recent storm ran much smoother than in 2003. Gist, who recently became mayor but has served Jackson and Madison County in various capacities for more than 20 years, says it takes a lot of effort during spring and winter months to prepare for these events, but preparation is key to saving lives.

"My advice to municipal officials and the business community is you may lose a few minutes of productivity as you train and go through the exercise of preparing for an event, but the time is well spent," he says.

And while Jackson officials obviously wish none of these tornadoes had happened and are careful not to minimize the loss of life, they prefer to focus on the economic positives that stem from the storms. In 2003, for example, the storm that battered Jackson's downtown spurred redevelopment and a commitment to revitalize a 25-block commercial area.

"An infusion of money from FEMA and other sources allowed for cleanup and a massive rehaul of downtown," says Jill Mendoza, executive director of the Jackson Downtown Development Corp., who believes disasters often create opportunities that force businesses to reevaluate.

New businesses have moved into old spaces downtown, and some of the companies whose buildings were destroyed by the storm, such as architectural and engineering design firm Hart Freeland Roberts and Aeneas Internet and Telephone, didn't waste time rebuilding.

"The storm didn't deter their commitment to downtown, and they are thriving," she says. "It's a testament to the progress that can be made when you have a new opportunity."

Latture says the city benefits from insurance adjusters, community service agencies and others, who, seeking to aid in recovery efforts, come from out of town and stay in hotels. In the face of disaster, corporate entities also donate money.

Still, officials note differences between the two most recent tornadoes. Despite the jump start that the 2003 storm gave downtown Jackson, Gist says it also affected lower income areas in which people typically lived in public housing or rented apartments. Because most of these residents and some businesses didn't have adequate insurance, residents were displaced and the rebuilding process took longer. In contrast, the most recent storm hit a more affluent area, and people who sustained damage to homes or businesses had insurance and have already begun to rebuild.

"If there is any silver lining—and it's hard to find one in an event like this—many of the homes that were on the market [due to national housing slump] are now being occupied by people who had adequate insurance," Gist says. "They were able to sell the lots that their former homes were on to developers who want to rebuild there, so it has assisted in the retail business. Those who only sustained damage are starting to rebuild, so we're seeing retail pick up because of building materials, furniture, appliances and clothing."

So, the message out of Jackson is two-fold: First, as Gist says, "This city has not skipped a beat, and it has to do with the quality of the people, who did exactly what I would have expected them to do—they came out to help their neighbor." And second, as Latture says, "We're going to rebuild, and come back bigger and better."