Kristen Folzenlogen has spent 25 years running Poeme, a stationery store on Michigan Avenue just south of Hyde Park Square. On Friday, July 17, water bubbled up through her basement floor, burst from overhead pipes, and left two inches standing. Two days later, she was collecting cleaning supplies for neighbors who got hit worse.

"Our neighbors, Patty's Popcorn, they just got through with water mitigation about three to four weeks ago from another storm, and they, on Friday night, they took on another 4 feet of water," Folzenlogen told WKRC on Sunday, July 19.

Close to a dozen residents dropped off paper towels, disinfectant wipes, and other supplies at Poeme that day. The drive is ongoing. Donations are accepted during normal business hours, Tuesday through Sunday, at the shop on Michigan Avenue.

The Hyde Park Neighborhood Council amplified the effort on Saturday, July 18, posting that businesses along Madison Road were in desperate need of paper towels and Clorox wipes and directing residents to Poeme.

Businesses hit hard

Neko Sushi, located near Hyde Park Square, has flooded five times since 2018, according to owner Yeon Kim. Sewage water overtook her kitchen and dining room on July 17, and water pressure from a Metro bus driving through the flooded road blew out her front door's window.

Kim said she has contacted city council multiple times about drainage near her restaurant but has seen no resolution.

Dovetale Bakery, which opened in April, closed Saturday, July 18, due to flood damage. Zip's Cafe on Delta Avenue in Mount Lookout closed through the weekend.

Infrastructure concerns

Multiple business owners say the flooding is not new. Folzenlogen told WCPO the problem must be addressed before ground is broken on a planned development near the square, saying the project sits exactly where the extensive flooding occurred.

Metropolitan Sewer District director Diana Christy said the sewer system did not fail, attributing the flooding to more than 5 inches of rainfall in less than an hour hitting an isolated portion of the city. MSD received more than 900 calls and was in full emergency response mode as of Sunday, July 19.

Mayor Aftab Pureval said in a social media statement on Sunday, July 19, that the administration and council will review what parts of the response operations and infrastructure worked well and what after-actions are needed.

How to help

Residents who want to donate cleaning supplies can drop them off at Poeme on Michigan Avenue, just south of Hyde Park Square, during business hours Tuesday through Sunday. No end date for the drive has been announced.

The Hyde Park Neighborhood Council's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, August 11, at Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church.