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Blue Tarps Remain on Roofs

Columbus, Ohio—It almost has been one year since Hurricane Ike blew through Central Ohio.

The hurricane-force winds brought down trees and power lines, leaving thousands of Central Ohioans in the dark for almost a week.

Strong winds peeled off roofs, and one year later, many are still waiting for them to be fixed.

NBC 4 looked at where the repairs stand Friday.

Blue tarps remain on roofs.

Some companies are in litigation. Other single-family homeowners still are working to settle insurance claims with just one weekend left before the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ike. Many insurance-company policies have deadlines of one year to complete repairs. “It took us almost six months … the insurance company came out and did what they needed to do and then we got the company to come out two months after, but it did, it took us about six months to get it done,” said Steve Bryant with Brentwood Lake Apartments. Bryant said contractors were extremely busy with orders all over Central Ohio. He said he’s just glad the work finally is done. “It’s great. It’s great for our community. It’s great for our residents because we were having leaks and problems, and they were causing other maintenance problems, and it looks fantastic,” Bryant said. And looks help when you’re trying to rent or sell apartments. Bryant said you shouldn’t give up if your roof isn’t done yet. With Ohio insured losses now topping $1 billion, check with your insurance company right away to see when your deadline is, or you could be paying out of pocket.

This article was provided by NBC 4 Columbus