Sleet, weighted snow takes toll on Dexter businesses Saturday

The Dexter area experienced the wrath of the nearly week-long snow early Saturday morning when the weight of overnight sleet and and early morning rain took its toll on some local businesses.

In a strip of stores at One Mile Road and Business 60, at least three local businesses were destroyed when the flat roof on the stores collapsed around 7:30 Saturday morning under the weight of the wet snow and ice.

The roof collapsed on the El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant and the adjoining Show Me Rent to Own store. Those two businesses are in ruins. The extent of damage to neighboring businesses, including Pretty Nails, Discount Liquor and the Dollar General Store remains to be known for certain. Although the Dollar General Store shares a west wall with the Show Me Rent to Own building, the heating units appear to still be intact on the roof of the Dollar General building. Where customers dined, though, less than 24 hours ago at El Tapatio, has been reduced to rubble.

Huber's full service station, owned by Randy Huber of Dexter, is located in the downtown area of Dexter on W. Stoddard Street. The weight of snow and ice on the awning over the pumps took its toll on the structure early Saturday morning.

Police have cordoned off the entire strip of stores and the parking lot, as well as the rear of the buildings.

Along with the damage to that strip of businesses, a service station in downtown Dexter suffered significant damage early Saturday when, similarly, the weight of the snow and ice was too much for the awning structure to bear at Huber's station on W. Stoddard Street. Huber's is a full service station with two bays and pumps in the front of the facility. When the awning came down under the weight of the snow, it split the awning, with the point crashing down directly between the pumps. That area as well, has been cordoned off, but the wreckage sits only feet off of the main downtown Dexter street on its south side.