Bolo’s Department Store in Road Town lost all of its stock to the flooding.Photo: REBECCA BIRD

“Everything was wiped out,” “destroyed,” “totally damaged” — these were the words of just some of the people whose businesses were struck by last week’s ferocious thunderstorm.

Bolo’s Department Store in Road Town lost all of its stock to the flooding.Photo: REBECCA BIRD
Muddy floodwater, often reaching several feet high, swept through shops, offices, bars and eateries as rain pelted the Virgin Islands on Aug. 7 and 8.

Merchandise, shop fittings, flooring, electronics and even walls were destroyed in what was described by some as the worst flooding they had ever seen in the territory.

The total cost of the damage is likely to be in the millions — flooding associated with Tropical Storm Otto in 2010 was estimated to cost more than $10 million — and many companies are still working to determine the true extent of their losses.

Charles Nisbett, sales representative at Bolo’s Department Store in Road Town, said that all of the merchandise in the adjacent storeroom was destroyed.

“Everything was totally wiped out,” he said. “Water filled the storage to capacity; we had to pump it out completely.”

He added that the store’s generator was “totally destroyed,” along with its public address system and other large electronic equipment, which he estimated to be worth tens of thousands of dollars.

But Mr. Nisbett is optimistic about the future.

“Right now we have it under control and we are looking to restock and put stuff back together,” he said.

He added that the company salvaged what was on the shelves at the time of the storm and it opened on Monday “to accommodate our customers.”

Two feet of mud

Flemming Street in Road Town was one of the hardest hit areas in the territory, with several feet of muddy water saturating businesses on both sides of the road.

Denley Vanterpool, owner and manager of Everyday Fashion clothes store, told the Beacon that about half of all of his merchandise was ruined.

He estimated the cost to his business to be thousands of dollars as he had just restocked the shop for the new season.

His mother Enid Denley was first to arrive at the premises on the morning after the storm.

She described “pure mud” coating the shop up to two feet high and “plenty” of damage.

Ms. Denley said that the carpet had to be torn up, and damaged clothes were either thrown away or sold at sale prices.

“I didn’t expect nothing like this,” she said. “This is the third time we’ve had floods but nothing ever like this one.”

The store is now freshly cleaned and open, and both Mr. Vanterpool and Ms. Denley are welcoming customers.

Lost stock

Mohamad Elkhatib, manager at Royal Cell Electronics Store for nine years, told the Beacon that he lost more than $60,000 in stock during the rains.

He described the family-run shop as “totally damaged,” listing phones, accessories, shelves and flooring among the ruined contents.

“The next day was a disaster,” he said. “I closed back my door because I didn’t want to see the damage.”

Floodwater had reached four feet high inside the building and everything that was not in showcases was ruined.

Mr. Elkhatib and his staff cleaned the entire property and on Monday it opened again.

Mellow Moods Café on Flemming Street is also soon to reopen following the hard work of staff and friends to restore the vegetarian eatery.

Several feet of water swept through the café on the night of the storm, knocking over refrigerators and other electronic equipment.

A representative, who asked not to be named, said that most of the food had to be thrown away, and a partition wall had caved in.

“We have had flooding already, but not to this extent,” he said. “We couldn’t walk from one side to the next.”

Marine store

Richard Henry, owner of Marine Depot, said he calculated $20,000 losses so far at the company’s warehouse in Port Purcell, but he expects that figure to double.

“I had two forklifts here, and their engine was completely covered in water,” he said. “I got a van and a pickup truck here and they too are covered in water.”

Other damaged items include batteries, boat equipment, and Mr. Purcell’s personal dinghy.

“No insurance company would insure us in this area because it is prone to floods, but what I did was, when I took the warehouse, I raised all the shelves several inches above ground and everything is rested above ground,” he said.

He blamed the flooding on the Purcell Estate ghut, which he said needs to be assessed and improved.

‘Resilience’

Premier Dr. Orlando Smith said that most businesses in Road Town suffered damage, but he was pleased to see owners immediately set to work drying out water, clearing the damage and restoring their operations.

“This is the true evidence of our resilience,” he said. “I was really gratified to see this.”

In a statement this week, the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association said, “Many residents and businesses are still cleaning up and assessing the damage. The accommodations sector reported mild flooding within a few properties. However, the overwhelming majority of hotels and villas are open for business.”

The chamber is asking its approximately 250 members to report any damage in order to receive further assistance.

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