Making strides to reopen once again. Some businesses and organizations in Norwich are working on repairing the damage caused by flooding from the Yantic River about a month ago.
There’s a lot of work to be done inside Busy Bees’ Play Hive in Norwich. The interior filled with tarps and tools.
“We’re getting ready to put down our flooring. We’re finishing painting up the walls. All the sheet rock is up. All the mud is done. All the sanding is done,” Keith Santor, owner of the business, said.
It’s all thanks to repair damage from flooding along the Yantic River about a month ago. Santor had to be rescued that day, but he says since then, he’s seen a huge shot of support.
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“So many people reached out to us that the first four, five days, we couldn’t even respond to everybody,” he said.
At United Community and Family services, the health center’s basement was also flooded, impacting its behavioral health clinic.
“All of this needs to be repaired and we needed to demo it very quickly so there wasn’t any kind of mold or anything like that,” Cara Westcott, chief operating officer of United Community and Family Services, said.
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Health center staff say the damage was extensive with insurance only covering about a third of the cost.
“We’re certainly looking for additional support from our community and our community partners,” Westcott said.
That’s where microgrants given by the Norwich Community Development Corporation came in. 13 businesses and organization impacted by last month’s flooding were given grants up to $5,000 funded by the state.
That’s despite the federal government saying the impact didn’t qualify for its help.
“I’m just happy that we’re able to do something and demonstrate support for small businesses here in Norwich,” Kevin Brown, president and executive director of the Norwich Community Development Corporation, said.
Santor said no matter where the help comes from, it makes recovery more achievable.
“This is a really big undertaking for us. Busy Bees’ doesn’t really come with a lot of money behind it. We run on hopes and dreams here,” he said.
