Storm damages 134-year-old barn, vintage car inside
When Jim Weppelman looked out his sliding glass door and watched the storm clouds roll over his property on Hufnagel Road in Muddy Creek Township on Saturday afternoon, March 7, he was unaware the storm would damage a historic piece of his property.
“The wind started blowing and then the rain came. The wind got stronger and then it started to hail. It was raining so hard I couldn’t see anything,” Weppelman said.
While watching the storm, he said he saw a large black shadow lunge through the air before crashing into the yard nearby. It took him no time to register what happened.
“I told my wife, ‘get into the basement. The roof of the barn came off,’” he said.
Weppelman and his wife were only in the basement for about 10 minutes before the storm subsided, he said. Outside, the roof of the 134-year-old barn had indeed been ripped off and pieces of it were scattered throughout the yard.
He said he doesn’t foresee himself rebuilding the barn, but is disappointed by the loss of the historical building.
“It’s seen generations. I think I’m the third owner. It’s really more about the history lost and the people that have seen it that I think about,” Weppelman said.
His vintage Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, which was parked inside, was damaged in the process. Other vehicles were inside the barn at the time but were not damaged. Nobody was injured.
Weppelman said the Camaro was his first car as a teen and holds a lot of sentimental value for him. He said he may get the Camaro repaired, but his first priority is moving things out of the barn.
