Businesses along Hertel Avenue spent Friday cleaning up after floodwaters rushed through the corridor Thursday night. At Terrapin Station, Anthony Hapka says the water rose fast. He tried to keep more water from entering the store, closing the doors as he and several customers waited inside. But there was little he could do to stop what came next.
"The flood just went straight into the basement. We got about three feet of water down there," he said.
Much of the store's inventory was damaged, and the timing couldn't be worse. After nearly four decades in business, Terrapin Station will close its doors for good at the end of September.
"It is definitely a devastating hit," Hapka said. "Completely wiped out a lot of our inventory. The damages are real bad, honestly, especially with us closing this month too."
Just down the street, three adjoining businesses were also flooded: Gino's Italian Bakery, Falafel House and Second Nature Barber Shop and Salon.
Darla Jones, owner of Second Nature, says she arrived Friday morning to find debris, sewer water and electrical damage inside her salon. She had left the shop before the flooding began and didn't realize how bad it had gotten until she saw video Friday morning.
“I just immediately panicked and just jumped out of bed to come here and pray that it wouldn't be too bad,” she said. “But apparently, I'm gonna have to get new flooring and carpet, and I have to have someone come out and look at the electrical situation in here.”
Neither Jones nor Hapka could say what caused the flooding, but both questioned whether the city's sewer and drainage infrastructure contributed to the severity of what they experienced.
“Definitely, definitely the city is failing right now. They could do a lot better,” Hapka said.
Jones also questioned whether more could have been done to maintain the system.
“I think they need to get out here and clean these sewers or something,” she said, adding that she had not seen city crews in the area Friday.
BTPM News reached out Friday to the Buffalo Sewer Authority and the city's Department of Public Works for comment on the flooding and questions about sewer and drainage infrastructure. Neither had responded as of publication.
For business owners now assessing their losses, insurance presents another challenge.
Jones says the damage is extensive, but the financial toll is still coming into focus.
“We have to wait for the adjuster to come out, but unfortunately, none of us in this building even has flood insurance because it's not a flood area,” she said.
Jones' situation underscores an insurance gap that can affect both business owners and homeowners after severe weather. AAA says standard home and commercial insurance policies typically do not include flood coverage, meaning a separate flood policy is usually needed.
“Typically, flooding is going to be excluded on a homeowner policy,” AAA Insurance Sales and Operations Manager David Kirst said. “So, if someone's making that assumption, they're actually going to be very incorrect and can actually have a large gap because they may not actually have coverage for that.”
Both Jones and Hapka took pictures and video of the damage to their businesses — something Kirst says can make a major difference when it comes time to file an insurance claim.
“Everyone has a video camera on their phone, so you want to take a video, show those things, take photos," Kirst said. "That's going to be the easiest way to make sure that you're documenting what is getting damaged.”
Jones says the salon had to cancel its appointments Friday and Saturday while crews clean up and assess electrical and other damage. She is hoping the business can reopen Tuesday.
“We definitely had to cancel all our clientele for today and tomorrow, because we can't bring anybody in here to this,” she said. “Hopefully, we'll be back open by Tuesday.”
