Businesses in southwest Butler County affected by flooding
HARMONY — Although the heavy rain and flooding of Wednesday and Thursday, April 3 and 4, have mostly subsided, the damage has been done to numerous businesses in the southwestern part of Butler County — particularly in Harmony.
One establishment affected was Union Brothers Brewing on Mercer Road. The brewpub recently moved from its location near the Steamfitters Technology Center on Wise Road to a new spot on Mercer Road, where some of the worst flooding took place Wednesday and Thursday.
According to Union Brothers’ general manager Josh Marshall, the brewpub was unable to open for business on Wednesday.
“We realized that the water level was rising quickly, and we knew that we were going to have to close down for the day,” Marshall said. “The police had shut down the roadways, and they said that we needed to get our cars out of the parking lot before (the water) caused any damage to sitting vehicles.”
On Thursday, the brewery opened at 4 p.m. — five hours later than usual. By 2 p.m., the grassy yard in front of the establishment was a shallow pond, and staff members set up pumps to drain the rainwater away.
“There is flooding there almost all the time,” Marshall said. “The locals have dubbed it as a Harmony landmark.”
Wunderbar Coffee and Crepes, also on Mercer Street, sustained considerable damage from the flooding and was forced to close both Wednesday and Thursday.
However, Seth Murphy and Loredana Georgiana, owners of the establishment, placed free cleaning supplies outside of their store for those who needed help cleaning out their homes or businesses.
“We will be closed tomorrow (April 4) to hopefully reset our equipment and clean,” Wunderbar posted to their Facebook page. “Thank you for your understanding, and let’s hope this water only goes down.”
Cypher Automotive, a motorcycle and automotive repair shop on German Street, took every precaution to keep the floodwaters out of its garage on Wednesday. It almost worked.
“We sealed our doors outside, so the water won’t come through. It was like a foot high outside, but we installed pumps in here that would then pump out anything that trickle through,” said Kent Adams, who sold the shop earlier this year. “Everything would have gone really well if it weren’t for people flying down the street through the barricades and sending tidal waves against us.”
Adams, who still works at the repair shop, said motorists drove by “road closed” signs on German Street, causing water to shoot through the sealed doors.
“When that last truck came by, a door got shook loose,” Adams said. “It was sealed until that truck knocked it loose and then the water was gushing in.”
Wunderbar’s Facebook post also attributed some of the damage to the shop to careless motorists.
“The only water we take in is when people drive down Mercer Street and splash it in,” the coffee shop posted. “I know it's slightly inconvenient to have to take another route, but it is damaging to our business, and it's very unsafe for you.”
Butler County first responders were dispatched to 18 flood-related calls between noon Wednesday and noon Thursday, as well as two vehicle rescues at the corner of Oneida Valley Road and Henricks Road in Summit Township. In both cases, a vehicle had attempted to pass by dangerously high floodwaters.
“These signs and barriers are not meant to inconvenience you, they are meant to protect you,” wrote the Harmony Fire District in a Facebook post. “The currents can easily wash people away resulting in serious injury or even death. Please respect the signs and remember, ‘Turn around, don’t drown.’”
Marshall kayaks the Connoquenessing Creek in his spare time. He said the flooding this week is as bad as he’s ever seen it.
“It was really, really bad yesterday. It’s the highest that I’d ever seen the ‘Connie’ in my life,” Marshall said. “The whole parking lot was completely covered in water, so people couldn’t even drive into the parking lot.”
Renfrew’s post office, located on East Main Street in Penn Township, was surrounded by water during the worst of the flooding on Wednesday, making it difficult for patrons to park their vehicles. However, according to a staff member, who declined to be identified, this did not affect operations, as the post office stayed open and none of the water rose high enough to enter the building.
