Downtown Fort Worth businesses near the explosion deal with fallout as they wait to reopen

FORT WORTH, Texas — For the first time since the explosion rocked downtown Fort Worth Monday, Angeliki Farquhar saw the aftermath at her hair salon business across the street. "It could’ve been so much worse," she said. Her salon escaped without much damage, but a gaping crater from the blast at the Sandman Signature Hotel is only steps away from the front door.

"That is right out my window. That’s how close," she said. The Segway tour company owner next door, Tim Ballard, feared similar damage. "I was pretty convinced that all our windows were going to be blown out because it was right there," he said. But even without damage to their small businesses, the blast across the street is affecting their bottom line.

They say they can't open until officials give the all clear. Atmos workers are still checking gas lines in the area and there is still debris in the street in front of their businesses on 8th Street. Workers began boarding up the exterior of the hotel with plywood Wednesday afternoon. "It's Stock Show weekend and we’re turning away business.

So that hurts," Ballard said. He said he could reschedule local customers, but tourists usually are only in town for a short time and have to cancel. Both he and Farquhar know it could've been much worse and neither has much damage to clean up. But waiting for the all clear to get back to work can be tough.

"Hopefully we can start to reopen soon because that’s hard on our clients, you know," Farquhar said. "So really I’m just waiting. And that’s the worst part of it. Just sitting and waiting.".