Flood Hit South Yorkshire Business Gets back On Track

Added: (Wed Jul 18 2007)

Pressbox (Press Release) - Flood Hit South Yorkshire Business Gets back On Track

The Internetshopuk.com is a small business based in Sheffield it began some six years ago running from the owners Attic selling just three lines. Today it sells over 800 lines and is a popular online mail order company it has two warehouses, each year the business has grown in stature and size.

25.06.07 the day the great flood came and washed the InternetShopUK.com away. It did start as a normal Monday morning all except the torrential rain that is. But you know loads of orders from the weekend to dispatch the same amount of emails to answer and more that�s waiting every Monday morning. So we just plodded on as normal why wouldn�t we.

It was not until about 2.30pm that we realised this was not a normal Monday and what was about to happen to us. We had looked out into the car park and noticed what we thought was a rather large puddle then we noticed lots of people just loitering about outside the car park gates. As we went to see what was happening we realised the full horror of what was about to happen. At this point the river came surging towards us at an alarming speed. A very scary experience I do not mind adding. The river was coming up the road bringing people and cars and debris all at the same time. At this moment we where still dry but not for long let me tell you.

We ran back to the warehouse and tried to move as much stock to higher ground as possible at this time we had no idea how high the water was to rise. We unplugged all the electrical equipment luckily none of the computers where damaged, all we could do at this time was move as much as possible, we could not stay to long as the water was rising and fast. We secured the stock and equipment as best we could and secured the building and waited for nature to takes its course.

By the time we left the warehouse the water was around our feet. By the time we left the offices it was around our ankles, by the time we had locked up it was about knee deep by the time we had reached the gates not a great distance let me tell you it was nearly waist deep. At this time we had to go into rescue mode as people where struggling to wade through water that was up to your hips and running fast. It is a surreal experience to look down what was once a road and see a car floating. At this time with the water rising and danger becoming more real we left the area to return in the morning water permitting.

On arrival the next morning the scene was shocking it was obvious the water had risen to at least four foot in places. The whole area was a scene from a disaster movie. Cars had been abandoned litter and debris everywhere you looked. Our big steel bin had been moved about 100 ft and landed on top of a brand new BMW mind you the rubbish was still intact. The smell the mud and silt that had been deposited. The total and heart breaking image of people�s lively hoods and homes in ruins. It is a total shock to the system and takes you a while to get your head round what your eyes are registering.

Then some how you go into auto pilot and begin to organise, you have a million thoughts running through your head at once. First things first where to begin, the clean up, then organise the materials required and most of all make that call to the insurers. So here we was ankle deep in mud looking at the ruined stock, no electricity no phone lines no broadband things you take for granted day in day out not here to help you like they do on the most ordinary of days and you are having the most extraordinary day of your life with a mobile phone as your only aid.

Of course it becomes apparent straight away that you are not the only effected party so we had to be quick. Order the skips call in as many favours as possible from all the friends you can contact. Raid the local hard ware store for cleaning agents buckets mops and brushes. What ever looked useful was useful. Then it was time to organise the clean up operation.

We just had to through away anything that was water damaged because it could have been contaminated plus most of it was covered in thick black mud not nice. So we started of by counting what was damaged and was going to be thrown away, anything that was going was skipped. Once we had cleared all the damaged stock and furnishings it was time to start clearing up. So we where basically a mess on the Tuesday morning no electricity no computer access, it was cold wet and mucky where ever you looked.

Everybody worked hard, bleaching and antibacing every inch of space at least several times just to decontaminate the area. It looked like a scene from CSI with the white jump suit been the must have item of the day along with matching mask, not sure what Trinny and Susannah would have made of the fashion. By the following weekend we where getting some where. The damaged stock had been disposed off the cleaning was under control. The place smelt nicer new carpets in office area phones re connected and we where able to start taking orders again. Of course at this time the offices where inhabitable but we knew we would have worried customers, so we went about setting up a temporary customer service base so we could at least handle some enquiries and explain to customers why there was an hold up. We managed to email most customers who had ordered from the Friday before and explain the situation.

We managed to get this done so quickly thanks to all staff permanent and temporary who got stuck in and did not mind getting wet and smelly for the sake of the InternetshopUK.com. Also the tradesmen who came and worked in not so pleasant surroundings this helped us move things on quickly. It is about having the people in place in time for when they are required.

Do not misunderstand me its long hard work to get back into some kind of normality. I mean your first thoughts when met by this kind of devastation is to curl up in a ball and ignore and hope you are dreaming or get the next flight to Australia if only. That�s what we felt like doing but you have to put your best foot forward and carry on to be truthful although the situation is awful, the people and the area pulls together and gets on like always �smile in the face of adversity�, I have always struggled with that quote but now I understand it more than ever.

What we the InternetShopUK.com have been through has been the most testing time for the company but we have come through it and probably learned and gained from the experience. It has been an experience we will never forget although horrendous and never wishing to experience anything of that magnitude again, we where heartened to receive the messages of support from many of our customers. They understood they sympathised and most of all they where patient, and for that and that alone we would like to say a great big thank you to all our customers who where affected but stayed with us through out. On a lighter note we are pleased to be fully operational, dry, clean and smelling sweet. The only upside to this situation is the office it has never been so clean long may it last.