Hanford business owners demand action after rain floods stores again

HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- Rainwater flooded businesses successful downtown Hanford implicit the play -- leaving owners scrambling to support their stores and merchandise. Two days aboriginal sandbags beryllium successful beforehand of the stores, remnants of that effort arsenic fans enactment overtime to adust retired the interiors.

Minutes aft closing up store astatine Beautifully Damaged connected Saturday day Jessica Szalai got a call, she needed to instrumentality due to the fact that rainwater was rushing into the beforehand and backmost of her business.

This is the 2nd clip the store has flooded since aboriginal February. She estimates the harm from that earlier tempest to beryllium astir 2 1000 dollars. She hasn't determined however overmuch this tempest volition outgo her. She says the metropolis needs much to hole the problem.

"I conscionable privation support," said Jessica Szalai, Beautifully Damaged, LLC. "I conscionable privation to consciousness similar my metropolis supports us. That's it. Act similar you care."As her hubby worked to wide drains connected Irwin and Eigth successful beforehand of their shop, helium convinced Salzai to hop connected Facebook Live to papers what was happening. That unrecorded watercourse caught the attraction of a Hanford occurrence captain, who made his mode to the country to assistance her store and others pump retired the water.

The main says radical don't often recognize they tin telephone the occurrence section for assistance with flooding.

"Ultimately if we would've had radical called 911 we would've perchance been down present a small earlier, we whitethorn person been capable to halt immoderate different harm to the gathering really occurring," said Chief Daniel Perkins, Hanford Fire Department. Szalai said she didn't spot Public Works respond Saturday night; however, the metropolis says crews were connected the country by 5:20 that nighttime to wide drains.

As Salzai watches COVID alleviation funds beryllium spent connected projects downtown, she wonders wherefore the wealth isn't being utilized to forestall flooding connected her block.

Community Relations Manager Brian Johnson says the backing Salzai refers to has already been dedicated to circumstantial jobs arsenic portion of the Downtown Improvements Project.

"My knowing is the scope of the task has already been set," said Brian Johnson, Community Relations City of Hanford. "My knowing is the intersection of 8th and Irwin. I don't deliberation that we tin code that arsenic portion of the Downtown Improvements Project."Johnson said they are moving connected backing to code drainage. On Friday, the metropolis submitted a assemblage task backing petition for much than a cardinal dollars successful national assistance money. However, determination isn't a timeline for solutions to the flooding.

Salzai said they request to enactment faster.

"I privation to spot action. I'm bushed of words. I'm truthful sick of the words," said Szalai.

Beautifully Damaged volition apt beryllium closed again tomorrow, but plans to unfastened connected Wednesday. Szalai said the creation classes she offers volition apt beryllium canceled done adjacent week.