Lexington strip mall to be condemned due to major storm damage

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Tuesday’s storm has already left a mark on several areas around Lexington, Kentucky, including the back of a strip mall on Versailles Road.

The majority of the building’s back wall is now a gaping hole.

WKYT reports first responders on scene say the building is in such bad shape it has to be condemned.

Battalion chief Jason Walton with the Lexington Fire Department says it is “extremely lucky that nobody got hurt in this.”

Walton says the initial call came in as a gas leak, but the response quickly changed once crews arrived.

Luckily, everyone was out of the building.

Walton says the strip mall wasn’t the only thing to take a hit. A truck in the parking lot was blown over and came crashing down on its side.

“It was about three spots prior to where it’s resting at now, so the wind come through here and blew it over a good 25 feet,” Walton says.

While crews assessed more structures around the area, Walton says they noticed an approximately 40-foot wall blown out of the back of the storage unit. It’s located behind the strip mall.

“We’re actually going to condemn the buildings at this time. We’ll have the fire marshal come out. He’ll talk to the property owner and the management and work with them on a plan for keeping everybody out of the building,” Walton says.

The strip mall was home to at least eight businesses that’ll now be closed indefinitely. Walton says to heed any and all storm warnings.