Mel Huffman was mid-cleanup inside The Crystalary on Tuesday, July 21, when water started rising again. Five days after a flash flood sent sewer water through her crystal and mineral shop on Delta Avenue, a second round of storms re-flooded the store she'd been working 18- to 20-hour days to save.

"Honestly, terrifying," Huffman told WKRC. "I have my employees here with me also helping with cleanup, and even they — I could see in them almost like a PTSD reaction. I could see they kept checking the windows."

The floor now needs to be replaced. Huffman said her crew is racing to remove all inventory before mold sets in, since the floodwater came from the sewer system. She described the July 17 flood as shockingly fast: water rose from the bathroom, going from a trickle to two inches in what she called "a blink of an eye."

Huffman, who started The Crystalary in her home a few blocks from Delta Avenue and has lived in Mount Lookout since 2012, said her top priority is making sure employees keep getting paid while the shop is effectively closed. The store has no reopening date.

Kim Rice, owner of Keepsake Photography on Delta Avenue, told WKRC her shop didn't flood directly on Tuesday but Mount Lookout Square was underwater within 15 minutes. The business next door, which Rice owns and leases to a tenant, did flood, and Rice helped mop and shop-vac the space.

Rice said this type of flooding has happened about five times in the last 10 years, causing thousands of dollars in damage to each business in both product and lost revenue.

Other Delta Avenue businesses hit by the July 17 storm include Zip's Cafe, which had just celebrated its 100th anniversary and called in a remediation company, according to WCPO. Dark Stallion Tattoo owner Kyle Mitchell said Saturday, July 18, that his shop could be closed for a month. Mitchell told WCPO: "Almost every business in this neighborhood is a family business — and we aren't million-dollar corporations."

Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval issued a declaration of emergency Tuesday night, hours after the second storms hit, enabling the city to pursue state and federal assistance. The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati had already received more than 900 reports of sewer backups from the July 17 storm alone, according to WVXU.

Councilmember Mark Jeffreys said Monday, July 20, that the city's stormwater management division is developing a long-term master plan but questioned what can be done in the interim. MSD representatives said no sewer system could have handled nearly five inches of rain in less than an hour.

Huffman urged residents to support affected businesses by shopping online, following them on social media for reopening updates, and returning once they reopen. Businesses that experienced sewer backups can file claims with MSD's Sewer Backup Program at msdgc.org/sbu or by calling 513-352-4900.