Flooded Businesses Begin Path to Rebuilding

Don't tell Daisy Ospina-Weinstein that The Venetian Yacht Club burned down during Hurricane Sandy – that rumor was absolutely not true.

The catering sales manager at the beautiful catering hall has been trying to qwell the rumors that started during the peak of the storm on Monday evening.

"We had a bit of flood damage," she said to Patch, noting the bulkhead was gone, which led to a flooded basement and water damage to the first floor of the large sea-side building. "But we absolutely did not have a single flame here."

Ospina-Weinstein said the power, and gas for that matter, was cut hours before the storm even made its devastating turn towards New York and New Jersey.

While many Main Street and Deer Park Avenue businesses are opening their doors again, The Venetian, however, did not escape without some structural damage. The back dock, which allowed visitors to take in the scenes similar to the nearby Babylon Docks, was completely ruined and much of it remained hanging off the back of the building precariously as workers cleared the insides of the building.

The Venetian, pummeled but not destroyed, is expected to reopen in about three-to-four months.

Next door at the Babylon Beach House, a similar story unfolded. Owner Scott Lockwood had gotten all of his senior residents out of the building way before Sandy really made an impact. That decision was worth it – most of the interior was ripped apart by the 6-to-8 foot waves that overtook the building.

Lockwood could be seen with other workers on Wednesday and Thursday clearing the interior of the building – electric fireplaces, furniture and other decor ruined by seawaters – was in a giant pile and awaited a dumpster.

"It's sad, but everyone's safe," said Lockwood. "That's what matters."

He had no early estimate on when the senior home would open its doors again to residents.

Another building that took a visible, public beating – thanks largely to News 12 Long Island's broadcast from that spot – was the Sherwin-Williams Paint Store on the border of Babylon Village and West Islip.

Flood waters rushed up the Sumpwam's Creek, pummeling other businesses near by as well, and flooded the building through its back door, which was protected by sandbags.

Owner/manager Anthony Lewis said waters up to 4 feet overtook his business, in its 26th year in Babylon and destroyed everything in sight.

"The enviornmental guys are going to be here and despose of all the paint correctly," he said. "We'll be back. It'll be a while, but we'll be back."

Sherwin-Williams is a corporation, he noted, and would be able to provide a lot of money to get his storefront back to new again.

"It's terrible, especially since I saw it happen live on TV, but we'll be okay," he said. "Just happy everyone's okay."