Millwood Businesses Mostly Unscathed by Irene

While some merchants and are reeling from the impact of Tropical Storm Irene, Millwood businesses got by without much trouble.

"We didn't lose power here at all," said Mike Competiello, owner of AS Fine Foods. He said that he was on vacation, and that the placed was closed last week.

Competiello, who lives in Yorktown and lost power at home, said that demand is up for takeout from customers without power, although some customers are buying less due to the uncertainty over their outage situations, he explained.

"We had no problem whatsoever," said Sue Matero, co-owner of Matero Jewelry & Design. Preparation for Irene was made by putting down towels, but there was no flooding. Matero was reopened on Tuesday, but they are closed for Sunday and Monday.

Businesses on the western side of Route 100 fared well. On Sunday, Rocky's Deli owner Greg Santone said that they never closed during Irene (they're approaching 20 years without ever closing), and a busy line of patrons were spotted there on Sunday making orders.

Millwood Animal Hospital did not have damage or power loss, according to co-owner Dr. Jeremy Tubbs.

Still, Millwood did not entirely escape the economic impact.

Millwood Market was a rare business that experienced flooding in the hamlet, with floodwater that shut down part of Route 100 on Sunday spreading to the outer drive through space around gas pumps. However, the gas station and convenience market has fared fine, and its manager described business as good.

The only noticeable flooding spotted in downtown Millwood on Sunday was in parts of Routes 100 and 133, which caused temporarily closures. However, those areas were away from most downtown merchants.

Evergreen Cleaners did not lose power or get flooding, according to Helen Jeon, who works at the store. However, they could not deliver to some customers due to problems with the roads after the storm, she explained.

Power loss for residents in the area actually benefitted Tazza Cafe, as more people came in to the coffee shop, with free WiFi as a reason, according to manager Eddie Tenen. The shopping plaza that Tazza is located in, anchored by an A&P grocery store, which was spared damage, according to Tenen.