Mother Nature wreaked havoc at several Plymouth businesses last week when heavy rainfall left floodwater in several downtown businesses.
Owners of several businesses located on the north side of Ann Arbor Trail west of Main Street near the central parking deck downtown continue efforts to clean up from the damage. Some shops remain closed as efforts to recover from the gushing water entering basements and first levels continue. Estimates of damage at multiple stores and shops were still being totaled, several business owners said.
One of the most seriously impacted was Kemnitz Fine Candies where water flowed through the rear of the store. Owner Lori Collick said the flood devastated her business where Easter candy sales are her busiest season. Her shop floor was covered in mud, leaves and debris brought in by the rushing rainwater. While she said she does have flood insurance at the 74-year-old shop, she doubts it can cover the loss of nearly 2,400 chocolate Easter bunnies, a mainstay of her business during the holiday season.
Neighboring business owners were not as fortunate. Home Sweet Home owner Carol Uber was forced to move merchandise to make room for cleaning crews, no small task in her shop which features home décor and vintage items. She said she may have to completely empty the store of the carefully arranged displays of home items to allow for tearing out and replacing the floor. She said she did not have flood insurance at the business.
Creatopia, a paint-your-own pottery studio, also experienced some minor damage while the offices of the Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce were closed due to damage to the floor of that building. A long-time staple of downtown, Maggie and Me, a women’s clothing store was also closed due to the floodwater damage to the decades-old business.
Nearby, Carol Uber of Home Sweet Home, a vintage and décor shop, was frantically fielding one phone call after the next from worried customers and friends while also trying to move enormous amounts of merchandise so crews could come in to clean.
Unlike Collick, Uber said she does not have flood insurance.
Further down the block, Creatopia, a paint-your-own pottery studio, fared better, but still sustained damage. Across the street, Frameworks escaped serious loss of artwork as owners said most stock and custom framing artwork is kept upstairs.
Business owners said they were told a nearby underground culvert was unable to control the huge downfall of rain during the storm. City Manager Paul Sincock said the 2 inches of rain in an hour was more that the underground storm sewer could carry. The pipe installed in the 1930s or 1940s is underground and carries water from Sheldon Road to Ann Arbor Road. Sincock said some residential areas also experienced flooding but the water had receded by early morning.
Plymouth city officials uploaded an online form so residents and business owners could report damage, Sincock told media sources. He added the city officials have contacted Wayne County and other government offices to determine if the damage would qualify for any disaster aid.
Businesses who escaped serious damage have extended help to Collick who has moved supplies and production to her kitchen facility in Old Village. A website, www.kemnitzfinecandies.com. has been set up and candy can be ordered online and picked up at the neighboring Radiant Jewelry store.
