BY LARA BECKER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Stifling conditions Wednesday triggered a heat emergency in Cincinnati, and more bad news could be on the way today, with drenching thunderstorms predicted for the area.
But Sunday's storm - which knocked out power in 100,000 homes and caused severe damage in others - has been more than a nuisance. It's been good business.
"It's unreal," said Kim McIntyre, a customer service representative at Roto-Rooter Plumbers on Montana Avenue in Westwood. "We're just swamped with calls."
The plumbing company received 700 calls Monday - about three times more than usual. Sump pumps were down, drains clogged, basements flooded.
Fred Deutschbein, 66, a store-front owner and tenant at 8401 Blue Ash Road in Montgomery, called Roto-Rooter after a leaf-clogged drain on his rooftop patio backed up.
"I hope they hurry up and get here," he said Wednesday afternoon. "I've been a little busy with the mop."
His is hardly an isolated problem. Tina Mason, office manager at Chem-Dry Queen City, said the number of calls Monday doubled. "They're still calling," she said.
The company is not equipped to extract water, she said, so experts there recommend customers make sure the padding underneath carpets is "bone dry" to deter mildew buildup. Then workers can come out to clean, disinfect and deodorize.
Chem-Dry has received 50 calls in two days, compared to the usual 10 or 15.
Vicious winds ripped off half of the 26,000-square-foot roof at Value Mattress in Sycamore Township. Water ruined the rest, said Alex Hill, a salesman for Chem-Dry.
"I hate to see our city, or anybody, hurt," Mr. Hill said. "But it's definitely been profitable for our business."
Bob Hafertepen, manager of Ace Hardware in West Chester, said business Monday was about 20 percent higher than most Mondays. "We had a bunch of homes in the area struck by lightning, so people were coming in to get things like surge suppressors, grounding rods and electrical receptacles," he said.
Jennie Trimmer of Trimmer Hardware in Hamilton said she sold a lot of sump pumps and rope to pull fallen trees. She also had a lot of customers come in to rent rinse and vacuum machines for water damage to floors and carpet.
Just as Cinergy had restored power to all but a few Indian Hill residents, meteorologist Mark Tobin at AccuWeather in State College, Pa., predicted drenching thunderstorms today and a high of 84 degrees.
Cincinnati on Wednesday declared a heat emergency after two consecutive 95-degree days. With a heat alert, the city opens its cool centers. During a heat emergency, these centers extend their hours.
Residents are urged to avoid prolonged exposure to heat and undue physical exertion.
Many city recreation centers are cool centers. Call 352-4001 for information.
Anna Guido contributed to this report.
