From sandbags to sealing sprays, downtown businesses prepared for heavy rains and potential flooding Wednesday as the Category 4 Hurricane Laura approached the U.S. coastline.
"We are obviously using the sandbags provided by the city. We're also trying to lift everything we can off the ground," said Shanon Moody, manager of the Hot Springs Hemp Company. "We are anticipating quite a bit of water to come through. I'm going to stuff some towels around some corners and see if that can help absorb some of it."
In anticipation of the heavy rains, the city began placing pallets of sandbags in the parking lot of Hill Wheatley Plaza for business owners to use. According to Cole McCaskill, vice president of economic development with The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce, the first pallet of sandbags "went fast" and the city was reportedly working on providing more Wednesday afternoon.
Several business owners and shop managers flocked to the plaza to stock up on sandbags, but some businesses took it upon themselves to prepare and help their neighbors if necessary. After seeing the damage caused earlier in the year by flash flooding downtown, EVILO manager Nikki Weaver said they are not taking chances.
"For the most part, we were pretty much OK during the flash floods. We didn't see any flooding until after the rain had stopped, then there was this wave that just came up on the sidewalk and it came in through our front door, maybe half a foot," Weaver said.
"So this time around we're actually a little more prepared. We've already sealed our walls with a rubber sealant and we have sandbags for us, the soap shop, and any other shop on this strip that can't run to the plaza to get the ones the city put out. ... I feel a lot better going into it this time because we do have the sandbags prepared and the walls have been sealed," Weaver added.
Weaver explained that many businesses downtown have to not only deal with water coming through the doors but the walls, as well. Many, like Weaver, have taken different types of spray sealants to the walls in hopes of mitigating the issue.
"We've sprayed a lot of the walls with Flex Seal to keep the water from coming in through the walls. Hopefully, we've got it this time. ... I feel a lot more confident this time than I did last time (flash floods hit downtown). I had just finished the build-out when we had the flooding a little over a month ago and the floor had been put in the day before. That came through and water was up about 6 inches on the front door and it came in through the front about 6 feet," said Lori Bowen, owner of a new store downtown called Run Stop.
Bowen noted she and those working in her shop have noticed several people from southern Louisiana in town. She said they have told her they came here to evacuate the hurricane before it makes landfall.
With many evacuees still coming in from surrounding states, some hotels have seen no influx in guests and some have seen only a few.
The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa has received a group of 10-15 evacuees from Texas, and a handful of people from Louisiana. The DoubleTree by Hilton Hot Springs' current capacity is made up of 4-5% evacuees, and they are receiving steady phone calls and walk-ins from Texas and Louisiana.