Salina mall remains closed pending asbestos testing more than week after sustaining storm damage

SALINA, Kan. (KWCH) - Salina’s Central Mall remains closed more than a week after sustaining damage from a strong thunderstorm. The continued closure comes at the state’s directive.

A Central Mall business said that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) asked the mall to stay closed for now as the department waits for results from an asbestos test.

Businesses on the Central Mall property with a direct outside entrance have the option to open, but mall entrances will be locked. Results from the asbestos test at the mall are expected later this week.

Meanwhile, people around Salina are still dealing with the aftermath of the hailstorm that damaged cars, homes and businesses.

For many people, the recovery process is just getting started, and it’s not happening quickly.

“I had a client today that lives two blocks from me, and I told her that my roof, what’s not even six months old, is totaled,” said Katelyn Jeske, who lives in Salina. “And she was like, ‘oh, I didn’t even think about my roof yet, because I’m so focused on my car.’ I did check with a local roofing company, and they’re six months out.”

The backlog is being felt across the city, especially at local auto repair shops.

“Just a lot of calls... A lot of estimates. We’ve probably written 600 to 700 estimates already,” said Clay Gorrell, the owner of Midwest Auto Collision.

Since calls are still coming in, auto repair shops like Midwest Auto have to prioritize whose repairs come first. That means wait times are stretching into the new year.

“For the dent side, we are currently booked out until March of 2027. We only have five guys on staff right now. We’re trying to hire some more,” Gorrell said.

People living in Salina are having to make the tough decision to make repairs, or hold off until storm season is over.

“A lot of people that I know are waiting it out. They’re waiting the storm season out,” Jeske said. “I mean, you can’t control the weather, and I think, you know, a lot of people, whether we’re barely scraping by - now we have all these big things to deal with. Cars, deductibles, a lot of people are taking their payouts and driving around their dented cars, because there’s really no other option.”