South Boston businesses clean up after the flood

The flood water has receded on Route 501 in South Boston. On Saturday, the road was closed as the flood water reached up to the hoods of cars. By Sunday morning, the road was opened up as the water left and business owners cleaned up the mess.

Fans were left on the floor to dry everything out while mops were kept nearby. Business owners spent their Sunday mopping up water and cleaning out the mud.

Although the water rose just under a foot, some workers got a pleasant surprise after the water went down.

“It could have been a lot worse than it was,” said Jennifer Conner with Ray’s Key and Lock.

There, workers moved safes back inside. Before the flood came, they took precautions by moving the safes to a warehouse. What wasn’t moved there was moved inside a school bus kept on the property. It was a close call since the water reached the bumper of the bus over the weekend.
   
Nearby, Dana Smith owns Tangles Hair Salon. She had to use a pressure-washer to remove the mud on the floor. On Sunday afternoon, she was pushing out all that water.

“I have a few $10,000 and $5,000 tanning beds that were sitting here so I was concerned about what I would find but everything looks good,” Smith said.

Others are frustrated.

Some of the cars at Riverdale Auto Sales are a little muddy on the outside. Bunny Propst, the owner, said they moved about 80 cars away from the area and had to leave several at the front of the lot away from the water. Propst tells us they got more water than expected inside the building although the river crested lower than predicted.

But Propst does not plan to move to another building.

“This one’s paid for and it’s still the best location as far as traffic count. And no, we’re not moving; we wouldn’t consider moving,” she said.

The Dan River is quieter now.

“We just spray a little water and rake a little mud, and we’re back in business,” said Smith.

The business owners tell us they do not get flood insurance since they are in a flood plain. They are waiting to see if Governor Kaine declares the flood a statewide disaster. If that’s the case, they tell us they could receive aid, whether it’s equipment, paint, or money.