“TALKING POINTS” ABOUT THE 2012-2013 NAB PROJECT
“The Antiochian Village Tornado Relief Fund”
When was the Antiochian Village founded? Where is it located?
In 1978, the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America purchased approximately 300 acres of property in the Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania which is today known as “The Antiochian Village.” The “Village” is located approximately 78 miles southeast of Pittsburgh International Airport.
On September 29, 1979, the Antiochian Village was dedicated in front of 1,200 faithful with His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP stating: “The Antiochian Village is not here to serve only the people of this great Archdiocese, but is offered as a gift to all Orthodox Christians in this country…”
What buildings are on the property known as the Antiochian Village?
Today, the following structures are found on the 380 acres that comprise the Antiochian Village:
The Antiochian Village Camp*
The Antiochian Village Conference & Retreat Center
The Heritage Museum & Library
The Nature Center
The Meditation & Hiking Trail
Various residential housing
Convent of St. Thekla (future construction)
St. Ignatius Church, Sts. Peter & Paul Chapel and St. Thekla Outdoor Chapel
*The Antiochian Village Camp contains multiple buildings and recreational facilities (including a challenge ropes course, athletic fields for soccer and football, courts for volleyball, basketball and tennis, a swimming pool, a pond for canoeing, an archery range, stables for horseback riding, and hiking trails).
In addition, the following shrines are located throughout the property: St. Herman of Alaska, St. Artemius of Verkola, St. Thekla the Proto-martyr, and St. Raphael of Brooklyn (whose remains are located at the Village).
Tracking the Tornado
During the mid-afternoon of June 1, 2012, the National Weather Service reported that a storm system in Western Pennsylvania had been upgraded from a “Tornado Watch” (conditions for a tornado are likely) to a “Tornado Warning” (a tornado has been sighted).
The tornado, about 300 yards at its widest point, traveled for eight miles along Pennsylvania Highway 711 through the townships of Ligonier and Bolivar.
The tornado damaged 75 residential homes in Ligonier and Bolivar including three that sustained “major damage” (i.e., uninhabitable).
The tornado hit the Antiochian Village at approximately 5:20 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) from Highway 711, and touched down on the property for less than one minute.
The National Weather Service classified the tornado that destroyed portions of the Antiochian Village as an F1 on the Fujita scale (which ranks the strength of a tornado on a scale of 0 to 5). An F1 tornado sustains winds of up to 110 mph.
Did the staff at the Antiochian Village evacuate? Was anyone injured?
Assistant Camp Director Marek Simon saw the tornado while attending the Paraklesis Service at St. Ignatius Church and directed those in the church into the basement. Camp Director Fr. Anthony Yazge was not on the property, but was traveling to Ligonier on Highway 711. He missed driving through the tornado by a matter of minutes.
Through the grace of God, no one was injured at the Antiochian Village or in the surrounding communities.
What damage did the Antiochian Village sustain?
22 buildings were damaged in some way by the tornado.
4 “Double Cabins” (housing 16 per cabin) were destroyed. One of these cabins was less than one week old (the others ranged in “age” from 15 months to six years).
1 Female Staff Cabin was destroyed.
1 Visiting Clergy Cabin was destroyed.
2 Overflow Cabins were destroyed (used when the Village has reached capacity).
The remaining structures sustained varying degrees of damage: roofs, guttering, collapsed walls, collapsed ceilings, broken windows, etc.
In addition, approximately 600-700 trees on the property were lost to the tornado.
What is the cost of rebuilding?
A “double cabin” normally houses 16 individuals. The cost to rebuild one cabin is $130,000. To furnish the cabin (furniture, fixtures, etc.), it costs approximately $8,000.
Will insurance pay for this damage?
Unfortunately, insurance coverage will not pay for 100% of the damage. Insurance adjusters have been on the property at least three or four times since June 1 and have advised the Archdiocese that the claim will exceed $1 million. The insurance also factors in the depreciation of each of the buildings that was damaged from the time they were built to the present.
The water and power supply to the Village also failed during the tornado. The “power surge” destroyed the motors that power the temperature system in the Heritage and Learning Center’s Rare Book Room, as well as the motors at the sewage treatment plant. These items were not covered by insurance, so the Archdiocese had an out-of-pocket expense of approximately $13,000.
Insurance paid for trees that fell on the buildings. However, trees that fell near the roads, sidewalks, or trails were not covered by insurance, and their removal had to be paid out-of-pocket by the Archdiocese.
What will happen next?
Contractors have been retained and will arrive at the site as soon as payment is received from the insurance company.
Buildings that are beyond repair will be demolished, and rebuilding will commence shortly thereafter.
Any tree debris that remains will be removed, and replanting will begin in order to ensure privacy near the girls’ cabins.
Are there priorities on what buildings will be repaired first?
The four “double cabins” will be rebuilt first, followed by the female staff cabin and the visiting clergy cabin.
The other structures with various forms of damage will be repaired after the buildings are replaced.
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