Wal-Mart area severely damaged by tornado
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[HARRISBURG -- The Leap Day tornado that devastated parts of Harrisburg Tuesday completely destroyed the strip shopping center south of the Walmart parking lot and caused "significant roof and water damage" to Walmart itself.
Although all of the stores in the strip center were closed in the early morning hours, Walmart was opened when the tornado hit.
"Luckily all of our associates and customers are accounted for and are safe and sound," said Walmart corporate spokesperson Dianna Gee.
"We are still in the process of assessing damages and our primary concern right now is the safety of our associates."
Behind the store the tornado tossed the Krispy Kreme delivery truck and its driver into the storm water retention pond. Store employees helped get the driver out of the water.
After daybreak store employees were removing debris from the parking lots and straightening the shopping cart corrals. One employee was on the phone calling in a hazmat team to deal with spilled gasoline from a semi trailer that had been flipped on its side in the front parking lot. The driver of that vehicle, Wayne Potee of Fayetteville, Tenn., escaped with just minor scrapes.
Gee says the company is working to get the store reopened, but does not know when that will be. Meanwhile, customers with prescriptions at the Harrisburg Walmart can get those filled at the Marion Walmart.
The Harrisburg store wasn't the only one damaged by the line of storms that passed through the midwest. Walmarts in Branson and Lebanon, Mo., also received minor damage.
"For people who may have prescriptions at that store we are working at transferring them to the nearest Walmart at Marion. If anyone has prescriptions at Harrisburg, they can go there to get their prescription," Gee explained.
"For people who may have prescriptions at that store we are working at transferring them to the nearest Walmart at Marion. If anyone has prescriptions at Harrisburg, so they can go there to get their prescription.
"We just want to send our thoughts and prayers to all of those affected," Gee added. "We still have teams in place that are calling on our of our associates to see if they are okay, and working to provide them with disaster assistance if needed."