Hendersonville Main Street business still rebuilding one year after EF-2 tornado

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – One year after a deadly EF-2 tornado tore through Madison and into Hendersonville, businesses on Main Street are still working to rebuild.

Ultimate Party, a locally-owned party supply shop, was hit hard when the tornado struck in December 2023. The storm destroyed the building’s front windows, tore off the roof, demolished the back warehouse, and collapsed its tent. Despite the damage, the store managed to stay open for much of the busy holiday season, beginning repairs.

Rentals manager Daniel Quarrick said there was a silver lining in the devastation. “We got our windows back and kind of redesigned the exterior. It’s a little more modern now,” Quarrick said. “There’s a nice newness to it.”

The store still has more work ahead, including renovating its flooring and installing a permanent exterior sign.

Just a few feet away, however, the story is markedly different. Miss Ellaneous, housed in the same building as Ultimate Party, remains closed a year after the tornado. The store’s roof and walls were destroyed, leaving rainwater to drain into the basement.

The boutique, originally part of Hendersonville’s first shopping center from the 1950s, served as a collective home for 16 individually-owned shops. Owner Cathie Moss said she lost around $40,000 in merchandise during the storm.

“I grew up in this building,” Moss said. “My life is just laying there flat.”

She faced challenges during the rebuild, still waiting to settle insurance claims. Despite the setbacks, Moss said she is determined to rebuild. The shop is now waiting on trusses to install a roof. Meanwhile, Moss plans to reinvent Miss Ellaneous into something even better, she said.

“We may be down for a little bit, but we’re not out,” Moss said. “We’re coming back, bigger and better and stronger than we were.”

Moss is hopeful the boutique will reopen by late spring or early summer.

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