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6 POSTSCRIPT Five months after the tornadoes of March 28, l984, in South Carolina, the area was visited again. The dance academy and auto parts store in Newberry has not been rebuilt, but nearly all of the other damage in the town had been repaired. In Winnsboro several houses were still in ruins, although many had been repaired. Surprisingly, the steel-framed Fairfield County Com- munity Center had been dismantled and was being rebuilt from scratch. This was also true of the gymnasium of the Richard Winn Academy. In- deed, the school had been completely demolished, including an undamaged wing. The new construction was of unreinforced masonry. A much ex- panded church was being built on the site of the one demolished in the storm. Again the construction was of unreinforced masonry. The greatest economic effect of the tornadoes was probably felt in Bennettsville. No attempt had been made to rebuild the Northwood vil- lage Shopping Center. The only activity on the site was in a temporary building erected by the drug store. The community had therefore been deprived of a major shopping facility for a considerable period of time. There were reports that even if the shopping center were rebuilt, the department store, part of a major chain, would not reopen. The apartment buildings damaged had been rebuilt, and more had been added to the area. Most private homes had also been repaired. When Hurricane Diana made landfall on September l3, l984, Bennetts- ville and Marlboro County came under a tornado advisory. This created considerable alarm among some residents. At their request, four local high schools were opened as emergency shelters, and over l00 people took shelter. Fortunately, no tornadoes were reported. 40
