Henrico "catastrophe" gets picked for national television - NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News

A west end "catastrophe" is getting new life for national television.

In late June, severe storms blew through the region, causing major damage. Now, a Henrico house that could've been condemned is instead being re-created for a new show expected to air on HGTV.

What do you get when you mix landscapers, builders, and painters with one severely damaged house? Add a film crew, and it's a show tentatively titled "Catastrophe, Inc."

The idea is this: a team of experts arrives on the scene of a disaster, in this case, a massive tree that fell through the roof. People swarm the place to repair, redesign, and rebuild it all in less than a week.

"Ultimately giving them something that's even better than what they had before the catastrophe," said Breana Leader, one of the co-producers.

Leader told us the homeowners, Jason and Holly Trice, are not allowed to see the place, not even on the news. That allows local contractors like John Sanders to prepare what should be an enormous surprise.

"We're all together, and we all jumped in, and we all were patient, and we've all been getting it  done, and we're way ahead of schedule," said Sanders, of Sanders Construction and Daughters.

The climax of each episode is the reveal. That'll happen Friday when the family who lives here finally lays eyes on their newly reconstructed "catastrophe".

"It really is going to be a beautiful transformation," Leader said.

The show is scheduled to premiere in April of 2013. While still subject to change, the episode here could be one of the first to make air.

The Henrico house was one of only a few homes selected by HGTV following an online application process that drew hundreds of responses.

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