ARABI, La. — An antique store owner is still cleaning up her store after last week's tornado in Arabi, but this tornado is not the biggest challenge she has faced this month. Old Arabi Marketplace is a beloved antique store. It is now back open after the tornado destroyed about a third of the business.
"This window blew out so it's plywood right now," Lynda Catalanotto said as she pointed to a missing window in her store.
She is still looking for precious pieces inside. Tuesday's tornado busted all of her windows and left little to be saved in the back room the tornado ripped apart.
"We had a flambeau chandelier in here, just some incredible things," she said about the room that is now in pieces.
Despite the challenge, she reopened Saturday.
"That's what I do. I get it done," she said.
It wasn't just for her.
"I didn't open for necessarily financial reasons," Catalanotto said.
She wanted to help her community move forward.
"I remember after each hurricane, Katrina more than others, we lost everything we owned; businesses, cars included and it was therapy to go shopping so that’s the way I look at it," she said.
She recognizes she couldn't have done it alone.
"They just showed up and said what can I do; customers, friends, relatives, neighbors, you name it and they were here," Catalanotto said.
It's much needed support as Catalanotto is facing sorrow from much more than this storm.
"My husband was an incredible human being. He truly was my soul mate," Catalanotto said.
Her husband of 18 years died March 2, not even a month ago. Sam Catalanotto was 65 years old and a very active member in his community. He was a past president of the Chamber of Commerce, on the board of Nunez Community College, and he coached little league baseball. Sam Catalanotto died after a tough COVID battle. He was hospitalized for 71 days.
"COVID. It's a terrible thing. Get vaccinated. We were vaccinated," Catalanotto said. "It just hits everybody differently."
Catalanotto holds it together as much as anyone could.
"I go home and cry so it's been rough, really rough. He was my best friend. He was everything to me. So it's... it's definitely more than one human being should have to take on. It is," she said.
With more severe weather expected Wednesday, Catalanotto hopes her roof is fixed by then as blue tarps on other homes and businesses work to shelter from more wind and rain.
"The Lord is going to spare Arabi, but everybody take warning. If you hear a warning, listen to it because I didn’t," she said.
Catalanotto said her husband always wanted her to downsize and with a large portion of her building destroyed, she said she likely wont rebuild it. She does have insurance and is working with her insurance company to fix what she can.