SAN ANSELMO (KRON) — After shutting down because of the recent storm, the break in the rain means one North Bay business owner can open his doors to customers.
In San Anselmo on Wednesday, the shop owner said the storm is hurting his business’ bottom line.
The sign in downtown San Anselmo reads, “When flooded, turn around, don’t drown.”
It is solid advice for an area with a creek that has a history of flooding.
“When they think there’s going to be a flood, nobody is coming down here,” Amphora Nueva owner Gilberto Lococo said.
Some shop owners avoided water damage from the storm but had to shut down just the same, which impacts business, Lococo said.
“Yeah, it’s a huge impact, something has to be done about the creek,” Lococo said. “Every time there is a storm, we are at maximum level. We have to shut down the store. People don’t come downtown. It’s tough.”
Lococo says over the past several days, his business has been forced to close down early or shut down altogether.
“You have days when you’re open for 2 hours,” Lococo said. “A lot of businesses can’t survive that.”
He says the answer is not boarding up, sandbagging, and shutting down.
“It would be nice if they would do something about the creek, get something together, some kind of plan, make sure this creek is a little bit more under control,” Lococo said.
According to the town of San Anselmo website, since 2007, shop owners have been paying a special fee for several flood control-related projects.
However, Lococo says the problem of flooding still exists.
“There’s solutions that have to be taken so…” Lococo said.
In the meantime, Lococo is happy to be back open for business on Wednesday.
“The sun is out, we are open today, the best extra virgin olive oil there is, we have been in business for a hundred years…,” Lococo said.
And he wants to keep the doors open rain or shine.