Flood-ravaged businesses commit to stay in place
June flooding was worst since Ivan
As a record-shattering deep freeze descended on the region last month, Mike Gibbons decided to close his Bridgeville dog grooming business for two days.
He didn’t want any animals getting sick while being transported to his shop during the Arctic-like temperatures and didn’t want their owners to take any risks by venturing outside, either.
As Mr. Gibbons’ staff at Precious Paws Pet Salon crams 40 to 50 missed appointments into its schedule over the next couple of weeks, he is confident they will get all the canines groomed.
He wasn’t as optimistic about his business last summer when Precious Paws was shuttered for five weeks after flash flooding tore through Bridgeville and other parts of the South Hills.
A June 20 storm dumped 3.5 inches of rain on the McLaughlin Run watershed and sent water cascading downstream to a pocket of Bridgeville, where more than 100 homeowners and businesses were hit with the worst flooding since Hurricane Ivan wreaked havoc on the region in 2004.
An Upper St. Clair woman died after being swept away by flood waters while trying to walk home after her car got stuck.
Some homes along McLaughlin Run were condemned, some remain vacant and businesses like Precious Paws on Carol Avenue were closed for weeks or months while owners made extensive repairs.
Some have yet to reopen like The Canine Club on Baldwin Street, where some of the worst flood-related damage occurred.
Several dogs that were boarded at the business perished in the flood while others were rescued. A post on the Canine Club’s website said the pet day care, boarding and grooming business is operating at a second location in Imperial.
An employee there said the Bridgeville location is being renovated.
Despite the risks of future flooding, some establishments have pledged to remain in their location just a few blocks away from Bridgeville’s main drag, Washington Avenue.
The Railyard Grill & Tap Room on Railroad Street is preparing to
open its doors again Feb. 18 and is currently hiring kitchen, dining room and bar staff while it finishes renovations.
On the night of the storm, floodwaters filled the basement and employees and customers were evacuated before the water rose to 4 feet at street level where the restaurant is located, said Nicholas Ciesielski, front house manager.
He declined to provide the total financial loss to the business and said insurance covered only part of the damage.
Despite the long closure, lost revenues and no plan in place yet to prevent future floods, the Railyard’s owners, private family investors, are committed to the relaunch.
“We enjoy this community and think we can give back,” said Mr. Ciesielski. “We know it’s a risk, but we feel this is a risk this community appreciates.”
Residents and business owners packed borough meetings in the weeks and months after the flood to question officials about how to resolve what’s become a recurring problem in recent years.
The town’s planning commission is currently reviewing several options to remediate the problem, including a retention pond and reconfiguration of a couple roads along McLaughlin Run.
Mr. Ciesielski lives three blocks away from the restaurant and his home also suffered significant damage from the flood.
He was traveling to Poland on the evening the storm hit, but family and friends sent him photos of the devastation and in subsequent days, images of the cleanup efforts.
Among those who helped property owners, he said, were local government officials and churches.
“We’re a close-knit community that really pulled together,” he said. “I should’ve enjoyed my trip more, but I was too worried about everyone at home.”
He expects about 20 Railyard employees who worked there before the flood to return to work when the place reopens.
Some workers received unemployment compensation and some found positions elsewhere while the Railyard underwent repairs.
About 6½ feet of water poured into the lower level of Precious Paws during the June storm. Insurance did not cover any of the damages that totaled between $60,000 and $65,000, Mr. Gibbons said.
Among the ruined property were grooming tools owned by employees such as scissors and clippers.
Mr. Gibbons replaced all of those items, and his five to six full-time employees were eligible for unemployment compensation during the closure. All have returned to their jobs.
Mr. Gibbons, who lives in Bridgeville, said he likely could have reopened in less than five weeks by hiring contractors he didn’t know. But he waited for local carpenters, plumbers and electricians to be available to complete the repairs.
“If you guys will help me get up and running,” he recalled telling them, “you’ll have the job.”