LIBERAL ? Storms brought destruction to this southwest Kansas town. Now they’re bringing in money — for some people, at least.

A May 15 tornado and June 28 hailstorm inflicted millions of dollars in damage. But merchants said Liberal had experienced an economic boom in the wake of the calamities with the influx of claims adjusters and roofers.

The newcomers have spent untold sums at hotels, restaurants and stores, and traveling roofing companies — more than 50 — have set up shop in Liberal, seemingly occupying all spare office space. Glass and building-materials providers also have kept busy.

“There’s no doubt, these are good economic times for a lot of businesses in town,” said Al Shank, a local insurance agent.

Seward County Administrator Ed Young said much of the evidence for the boom in the town of about 19,600 was anecdotal but strong nonetheless. Local sales tax and hotel tax totals — gauges of overall spending — for the period after the storms have yet to be compiled by state officials.

“The motels are full,” Young said. “Virtually every storefront has a business in it now.”

Likewise, numerous homes have yard signs indicating a roofing firm doing repair work, Shank said.

“When we leave town, everyone has a new roof, new siding, new windows,” said Andy Walker, manager of American Standard Roofing, a Pratt-based firm whose workers travel from town to town during the summer to handle roof repairs in communities hit by storms. “It really changes the face of the town, it really beautifies the town.”

Walker said roofers should be around until December, while Shank said painting and other peripheral work could stretch into early next year.

The storm that struck Liberal on May 15, accompanied by a tornado, caused $2.8 million in damage, according to the Kansas Insurance Department. The second, more destructive storm of June 28 unleashed a 30-minute torrent of golf-ball-size hail that struck particularly hard in the northern stretches of town.

The second storm “just literally dropped bombs on the north side of town,” Walker said.

City Manager Toby Miller said 4,000 houses — perhaps two-thirds of the homes in Liberal — sustained a total of $20 million in damage, while city structures and property were hit with a $500,000 bill. Neither Miller nor Kansas Insurance Department officials knew the damage total for commercial structures.

Miller said the city stood to lose money because of post-storm cleanup costs and insurance deductibles it paid to get damaged city property repaired. City sales tax revenue increases generated by the brisk business in town will be strong, but not enough to counter the other expenses, he said.

“All things being equal, I would just as soon not have had the storms,” Miller said.

Shank said the large number of insurance claims by property owners could lead to higher insurance rates down the road and the departure of smaller coverage providers.

And Shana Hill, manager of the Holiday Inn Express, said extensive storm damage led to that hotel’s closure until repairs are completed. The hotel hopes to open by mid-September.

“That’s true of any area that has a disaster; you see an economic boom,” Hill said. “However, I’m closed.”