Tornado rips off wall at Gold’s Gym

PRAIRIEVILLE, LA (KLFY) — This ball of scrap metal that looks like a wadded up piece of paper was the roof on that Gold’s Gym this morning, before it was ripped off by a tornado that tore through the Prarieville area.

Debris and sharp pieces of the glass cover the area outside of the gym.

The inside taking a hit from the non stop rainfall.

“They had about thirty-five people in here, working employees and just people working out and they had about eight kids in the daycare, so definetley a scary situation.” said Gym member Aaron Forsyth.

Forsyth, a member at the gym says one guy was working out on the treadmill when the tornado hit, and kept running through the storm.

“They actually had to flag him down. They were like the roof is gone, you might want to come over here.” said Forsyth

The roof ripped off and thrown about a quarter of a mile away.

The side wall of the gym now laying flat beside the building, and a blue tarp in it’s place.

Clean up crews arrived about an hour after the tornado hit to save what they could from the damage.

“The sandbags are really just to keep the water from going to the other side of the gym.” said Forsyth “Hopefully we’ll get the water out by tonight.”

Members of the gym, who would normally be there to break a sweat.

Instead, picked up mops and vacumms to salvage what remains.

“A lot of the people who were here earlier were just exhausted, went home to maybe freshen up. They will be back later. I am just trying to lend a helping hand.” said Forsyth

The clean up crew plans to work all throughout the night to save what remains of the gym, and the owner hopes to have it open by Monday for members.