Photo by Todd Michalek, New Bern Sun Journal. Used with permission.
Hurricane Matthew’s wet and wild journey from Florida to North Carolina caused a ton of water damage to locations, said Betson Atlanta’s Rick Murphy. “We heard this from customers in Charleston, Raleigh, Myrtle Beach, Raleigh, Lumberton and some other places,” he advised this morning. “We did okay at the office since we’re pretty far from the coast. But, we do expect calls from operators needing some immediate help as the hours and days go along and the real cleanup gets underway,” he added.
Sandy Woodard over in Brady-Starburst’s parts department in Charlotte, said their area also did okay. “A lot of water fell on this part of the world, but other than that, and a lot of wind-blown debris in the streets and yards, we’re right as rain, no pun intended. We’re standing by ready to help customers,” he advised.
Eddie Chermak at Legacy in Myrtle Beach said the city lost two piers while another one that the Green family owns suffered a good bit of damage, but is still standing. “Right now, the office has power in some rooms, none in others,” Ed said when we reached his cell phone Monday. “The land line phones are acting up as is the Internet. Over a foot of water fell in this part of the world in eight hours and there’s water damage and trash all over. But on balance, we did okay and are anxious to help customers wherever we can with whatever they may need. (He advised that the folks down at the big Beyer & Brown route in Daytona hadn’t contacted him as yet, so he’s hoping that prominent route survived the worst of the storm that hit that part of Central Florida.)
Down in Daytona Beach itself, Justin Jennison said his factory did okay, all things considered, and they’re in cleanup mode right now. . .Eddie Roseboom at Bob’s Space Racers said that factory came through, but they’re mopping up inside and outside as well. . .Benchmark, as reported earlier, skirted the worst of the storm. Al Kress said his wife Donna had taken on the job of restoring their backyard at home which looked like a graveyard of broken tree limbs.
Needless to say (but we’ll say it anyway), operators can contact suppliers for any help they may need to “upright the ship.” Helping hands are ready and willing.