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Hurricane Sandy hit Red Hook especially hard, but as of yesterday afternoon, cleanup was getting underway at stores up and down Van Brunt Street. Racked proprietor Lockhart Steele took these photos between 3:30 and 5pm Wednesday. If you'd like to help with the recovery effort, Brokelyn has a round-up of how to get involved.
Above, that's wine store Botta de Vino on Van Brunt and Dikeman. It took on about a foot of water in its basement, per the proprietor, Jeff. They'd moved stock off the floor pre-storm, though, so no major damage. Store had power back and was open for business; we bought five bottles.
A bit closer to the harbor on Van Brunt, stationary store Foxy & Winston took on a bit of water. Next door, wonderful antiques store Erie Basin did too, though the store's stock looked mostly intact.
Just two more blocks down Van Brunt from Botta de Vino, the wine store Dry Dock Wine & Spirits suffered a significantly worse fate. Staff moved all cases of wine from basement to ground floor—but then the ocean flooded up to about three feet deep inside, destroying a fair sum of wine.
Above is a closeup of the chalk signage at Dry Dock. The peak surge waterline can be gleaned from the fading of the chalk at the bottom of the sign.
Chelsea Garden Center West, even closer to the harbor at Van Brunt and Beard, looked okay. But the realization that all these plants sat submerged in salt water dims that view considerably. Here's hoping some of the inventory makes it through alive.
Down Beard Street, Ikea. "Closed!" shouted a staff member at us when our car pulled up. When we've lost Ikea, we've lost everything.
· Help Red Hook recover from Sandy [Brokelyn]
· The Scene Downtown: Empty Streets and Grocery Store Lines [Racked NY]
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