Nine days after being hit by an EF-1 tornado, Walmart in Troy will reopen its doors for business at 6 a.m. today

The store will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., said Brian Nick, national media relations director for Walmart.

“The grocery and consumables area of the store will be open to customers as will be various general merchandise sections include pharmacy, vision, money center, pet food, diapers etc.,” Nick said. “The notable areas of the store that will remain closed are the auto center, garden and electronics.”

An EF-1 tornado with peak wind speeds of 100 mph touched down along U.S. Highway 231 South at approximately 10:35 p.m. Aug. 6 and traveled approximately half a mile before dissipating across U.S. Highway 231 South at the Flash Market. It left the roof at Walmart partially collapsed and imploded the nearby Hibbetts Sports store.

The tornado caught forecasters off guard, touching down before a warning could be issued. This was the first non-tropical tornado to occur in Pike County in August, according to Matt Anderson with National Weather Service in Birmingham.

Troy Mayor Jason Reeves said he was thrilled to hear that a business much of the community relies on will be open for business once again.

“I knew they had brought a tremendous amount of resources to try and get the store reopen,” Reeves said. “They’re a private company and they are motivated by profits and getting open, so it was always important to them to get open from a business standpoint,” Reeves said. “But they also realized how important their stores are to the communities they are in. They got it done. They will be open.”

Reeves said he had been told a firewall had been constructed separating the home and garden side of the store from the market side.

“There is a fire wall in between the part of the store that was not damaged and is damaged,” Reeves said. “As construction continues and moves forward, they’ll work on the left side, and they’ll be open on the right side. I just caution everyone who goes out there to be mindful of the signs and anything that is out there.”