Brooklyn businesses prepare for nor’easter as heavy rain, strong winds threaten NYC
Storm preparation starts with clearing drains around the property and securing anything that could be picked up by strong winds.
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As a nor’easter threatens New York City this weekend, businesses in some of Brooklyn’s most flood-prone neighborhoods are taking precautions ahead of the expected heavy rain, strong winds and possible coastal flooding.
At Nick’s Lobster House in Marine Park, preparing for storms has become second nature. The waterfront restaurant has been operating at the same location for more than 70 years, giving managers plenty of experience dealing with severe weather.
“This was all planters before, and we ended up just cutting a large chunk of it and setting up storm drains,” said manager and chef Dimitrios Karousis. “So the water will just flow right into the ocean.”
Karousis says lessons learned from past storms have helped the restaurant improve its flood mitigation efforts.
“It has happened where we didn't watch the storm drains and we didn't prepare the right way,” he said. “Out of nowhere, I see the outside of the restaurant, and it's like 4 feet of water.”
Now, storm preparation starts with clearing drains around the property and securing anything that could be picked up by strong winds.
“We have the outdoor patio. We have chairs and tables that are loose, you know, like the sails,” Karousis said. “You want to make sure that all the patio chairs are put away and nothing goes airborne into the restaurant.”
Meanwhile, Coney Island businesses are preparing for another familiar threat - flooding.
Employees at a deli on Neptune Avenue say they plan to rely on sandbags to help keep water out of the store. Even so, they know there’s only so much they can do when conditions worsen.
“A lot of people look at us and call this a safe haven,” one employee said. “The supermarkets are closed. People still want diapers, food, water. We got to be open for them.”
Workers say flooding in the area can quickly make it difficult for customers to reach the business.
“You have a lot of the water coming inside of the store,” the employee said. “We’ll put the sand in front of the door, but you can't stop it sometimes. It's a lot of water and it comes right inside of the store. Customers can't come in, can't cross the street.”
With the storm still approaching, business owners say they’d rather be overprepared than caught off guard.
As Brooklyn braces for potentially dangerous weather conditions this weekend, many waterfront and low-lying businesses are taking steps now to protect their properties and serve their communities when they're needed most.
