HAMILTON shops are mopping up and counting the damage after flash flooding in the city on Tuesday.
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Heavy rain hit stores in the central business district, with Gray Street shops the worst affected.
A deluge of water hit the Hamilton Sportspower store. Owner Kevin Quinn said the rain came in from the front of the shop.
“We just got a downpour and the gutters couldn’t handle it,” he said.
“In came the water.”
He said staff managed to keep the water at the front of the store.
“It came down so quickly,” Mr Quinn said.
“We pulled up the carpet and removed the underlay. We are trying to salvage the carpet.”
He said insurance assessors would inspect the damage.
Staff dried the carpet and stock was pushed to the back of the Gray Street shop.
At James Dean Pharmacy in the same street, pharmacist manager Mina Mounir-Ezzat praised the quick-thinking of his staff members during the deluge.
With water coming into the shop from the roof inside the store, staff swapped buckets for garbage bins, which were half full by the afternoon
“The buckets were not big enough,” Mr Mounir-Ezzat said.
“Staff moved stock to the other side of the shop as water was coming through.”
He said the heaviest rain fell from about 11.30am.
The front verandah of the pharmacy was also damaged during the rain.
The State Emergency Service attended the store, setting up a partition to keep pedestrians away from the roof.
“A sheet came off the verandah and builders are fixing it up,” Mr Mounir-Ezzat said.
“Staff also warned people not to walk near it.”
He said he would ensure the store gutters were regularly cleaned from now on.
Wannon Water also shuts its doors, due to damage from flood waters.
A jewellery store was also damaged, however representatives from the shop declined to comment.