Tornado watch: Revisiting Oklahoma’s tragedy
A little more than a month ago, one of the strongest tornadoes on record ripped apart the the town of Moore, Okla. Small business owner Gaydawn Magee witnessed the destruction firsthand. Her office, Ideal Hearing Solutions, was destroyed in by the twister.
Immediately after the tornado, Magee vowed that she would rebuild. One month on, she says she has applied for a small business disaster loan and a loan from the Small Business Association, but Ideal Hearing Solutions didn’t qualify.
“I’ve been completely out of luck in being able to reopen my office,” Magee says.
Plus, Magee is now looking to sell her home.
“When I made really good money, I had a big house and all the stuff that goes with that,” she says. “And when I don’t make really good money, all that stuff has to go away.”
And even though she’ll be in search of a new job, she remains optimistic.
“You know, at one point not too long ago, I had a conversation with my mom that if I lost everything and my kids were okay, then that would be fine by me,” Magee says. “And every now and then I think: You have to put your money where your mouth is.”
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
