Apollo Home's Oakley warehouse took on more than four feet of floodwater Friday, July 17, leaving a brown stain that runs past a grown man's waist on the shelving. The scrap pile out back washed away entirely. But three days later, the HVAC company was already out helping flood-hit customers dry their homes.
"Yes, we're flooded," Jeff Tieke of Apollo Home told WCPO on Sunday, July 20. "But we have the equipment to deal with this — our customers do not."
Apollo Home employee Mike Knudsen echoed that priority in a separate interview Saturday, July 18: "It's just an office building. Our customers' homes, that's the bigger deal."
The company is one of dozens of Oakley businesses still cleaning up after nearly five inches of rain fell in under an hour, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Julie Dian-Reed. The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati received more than 900 reports of sewer backups and basement flooding from the storm, MSD Director Diana Christy confirmed Monday, July 20.
Oakley Square eye doctor forced to close
Around the corner, the Optometric Management Group in Oakley Square is shut down indefinitely. Amanda Stomoff, the practice's director of human resources, told WCPO that staff were trapped inside when both doors became blocked by rising water Friday evening.
The doctor who sees patients there had been booked through September before the closure. When a WCPO crew visited Monday, July 20, a Servpro team was checking moisture levels around the baseboards while a separate contractor ripped out flooring.
Restoration pros: remove wet flooring, don't get bullied
Servpro team lead Chandler Davis said flooded floors must come out entirely. Wet carpeting and carpet padding will begin to mold within 24 hours if left in place, according to Servpro.
Patrick Wright, CEO of Servpro, said he has spent 13 years in the restoration business and often sees flood victims pressured into using specific contractors. His advice to Oakley business owners and residents: choose your own restoration company, regardless of what an insurer or MSD tells you.
Wright noted that multiple businesses he visited the week of July 20 had needed flood help before. "Geographically, it is what it is. There's not a hell of a lot that can be done about it," he told WCPO. "You hate saying it, but it's probably going to happen again."
Other businesses hit hard
Neko Sushi, near Hyde Park Square, flooded for the fifth time since 2018, owner Yeon Kim told WCPO. Zip's Cafe in Mount Lookout, which celebrated its 100th anniversary earlier this year, closed through the weekend and called in a remediation company.
Oakley resident Linda Rassel told WLWT she lost her household's HVAC system, washer, dryer, and everything stored in the basement.
What's next
Cincinnati City Manager Sheryl Long said Monday, July 20, the city is prioritizing debris removal in Hyde Park, Oakley, Madisonville, and California. The Department of Public Services stationed a roll-off container at 4420 Camberwell Road in Hyde Park.
City officials are also investigating whether a flood gate on Duck Creek in Madisonville and Oakley malfunctioned during the storm. A Cincinnati Fire Department official said the gate did not close and the creek overflowed its banks.
Residents can report storm-related issues by calling 311 within city limits, 513-765-1212 outside city limits, or online at 311cincy.org.
