Ida's aftermath, assessing the damage

Ida’s aftermath, assessing the damage

Posted by Rich Schwartzman on September 3, 2021

Hank’s Place is a muddy mess. Owner Anthony Young said there was well over seven feet of water that got into the restaurant.

Business owners have begun assessing the damage and cleaning up after Wednesday night's storm and flood courtesy of Hurricane Ida. As a result, several businesses will be closed for at least two weeks.

The folks at leaders clean up. Dan Leader said the station will be closed for at least two weeks because of equipment damage and because water got into the pumps.

Hank's Place and Leader's Sunoco won't be doing any business for a while. Leader's will be closed for two to three weeks, according to Dan Leader. Even with equipment in the service bays raised over four feet before the storm, the flooding still did damage and water got into the pumps.

That's still better than what happened to Hank's Place. Owners Anthony and Katie Young have no idea when they'll be able to reopen. Anthony Young said the restaurant had more than seven feet of water inside, "A lot more."

The Youngs weren’t allowing anyone inside, but the ramp along the front of the building and the inside of the vestibule were still covered with mud more than 24 hours after the storm had stopped.

And the Brandywine Conservancy and Museum of Art is digging and drying out. While none of the art collections or galleries were damaged, other areas weren't so lucky.

A planter lies on its side on the back porch of Hank’s Place. Anthony Young said the strength of the storm easily moved the 2,000-pound stand.

"[M]any of the buildings on our campus were not as fortunate," said a press release. "While we're still assessing all the damage, we already know it's significant and that we will be facing major unanticipated expenses, including insurance deductibles and replacements for outdoor equipment not covered by our policy, among others. The road ahead is long, but we know Brandywine and we know that the bond of our community — of members and friends, both near and far — is strong."

An apropos image. Boy With Hawk on the conservancy grounds now also has a flotation device.

The conservancy is asking for donations to its Emergency Flood Relief fund to help get it back on its feet. Donations may be made here.

Other businesses fared better. The was virtually no damage at the Barn Shops. Tess Wofford said her Oso Sweet Bakery was unscathed, and Barry Morrison, who does maintenance at the Barn Shops, said only a little bit of water that got into the basement of the building with Barbara Moore Fine Art, Arden & James, and the yoga studio. Lynn Schultz, who owns Green Meadows Florist, said there was no problem at her shop.

The Sanderson and Cuno museums on Creek Road experienced some flooding but no significant damage.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.