Nicholas Johnson, the owner of Su Casa, breathed a sigh of relief when he found his furniture store was virtually untouched after a deadly flood left nearby businesses on Main Street in Ellicott City in ruin on Saturday.
Now, Johnson and other store owners worry that with each passing hour, stagnant water, mounting humidity and mold threaten to damage the structure of those buildings fortunate enough to survive the flood.
Mold and other hazards set in within three days of major flooding, said Steve Hull, president of Mason Dixon Services, a company that provides emergency services and which is working with Main Street businesses to assess damage.
"The county should be taking lessons from Tropical Storm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina by making Main Street a controlled access point for contractors and badging them in and out," Hull said. "Right now, these buildings are salvageable, but by then, it may be too late."
Hull said contractors have struggled to gain access to assess damages and pump out water from structurally sound buildings.
Access to Main Street has been suspended as state and officials tackle the impending collapse of two buildings – including Joan Eve Classics and Collectibles and addresses 818, 8109 and 8113 on Main Street – hit hard by the flood. Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman said he will not risk the safety of residents, business owners and crews.
"I am aware owners are worried their businesses will suffer further damages with time, but we are prioritizing safety and we will work on a plan to get them what they need," Kittleman said on Wednesday.
Business owners worry it will be too late before the state and local officials allow them to salvage what is left. Johnson said county officials told him his store was structurally sound on Sunday.
"If we can't get in soon, we might as well throw away the keys and walk away," Johnson said. "It is unfair to lump us in with other businesses who have lost everything. We will lose everything because no one is going to make a decision to get us in and save our buildings while we can."
The flood won't claim their businesses — its aftermath will, said Simon Cortes, owner of La Palapa Grill & Cantina, a Mexican restaurant that opened on Main Street in 1999.
"The longer it sits ... all that water damage is going to get worse," Cortes said. "We don't know how much our insurance is going to cover. We just want to open it up and air out."
Business owners surveyed the damage on Monday and Tuesday, while residents were turned away from Main Street to salvage belongings on Tuesday.
During the flood on Saturday, La Palapa staff ushered customers dining at the restaurant on top of tables and handed out trash bags as makeshift ponchos as they waited to be evacuated. Children used the restaurant's linen napkins as impromptu jackets as they waded out of the water, Cortes said.
Johnson said he has tried to clean out his store, which opened in 2007, in 10-minute tours with escorts. Johnson said he was escorted out by police and building was blocked off.
"I don't need to bring in big equipment; I don't need a lot of people," he said. "All I want is a few hours to get the puddles out of our store and remove our wet area rugs. I'm just asking, is Su Casa worth saving?"