“Our store was a victim of flooding and will be closed until further notice.”
That’s the sign posted outside of Wings Beachwear in Ocean Beach, which has yet to recover from the last El Nino-fueled storm in early January.
“All of a sudden we see a flood of like a lot of water came right down here,” May Montesa, of the store, said. “We were shocked. Everybody was shocked.”
More than three inches of the entire store was flooded with rainwater during the series of storms. Montesa said the store’s closure has been hard on all the employees and many of them are looking for a part-time job.
Employees estimate they’ve lost thousands of dollars in business since they haven’t been able to open.
Neighboring business Miss Match was also hit hard by El Nino.
Owner Tali Bercovitz had to lock customers in the store to keep the water from coming inside.
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“Out of nowhere it was so quick the water came up to the door and we had customers in the store," Bercovitz said. “The worst part was we weren't prepared for it. It was really, really quiet and then all of a sudden I finally understand what a flash flood warming means and we lived it.
Both businesses are lining their shops with plastic and sandbags and say this time around they’re prepared.
“That’s really how everyone is on Newport avenue we weather the storm together and then we get back to business,"Bercovitz explained.
Wings Beachwear is still waiting to hear back from their insurance company, but hope to be open again in a couple of weeks.
Another storm is expected to move in on Sunday.
