Gainsville, Texas, Glass Businesses Await Flood Calls

Not inches, but feet of water is how one glass shop manager describes the flooding in downtown Gainsville following the June 18 rains that have devastated parts of North Texas.

"We're literally 100 yards from the flooding," says Darla Cash, office manager of Glass Doctor in downtown Gainsville.

"We're talking cars submerged and people on tops of their houses and refrigerators floating by … it's unbelievable what I saw," she says Cash says her shop is one of the fortunate businesses that escaped the flooding in the downtown area. Her shop was called to respond Monday to a local woman's plea for help. The woman had locked her keys and her baby in her car and had to have them break the window as the water started to rise around the car. The baby and mother escaped injury.

According to Gainsville's Chamber of Commerce, the initial flooding and rains that continued throughout this week have affected more than 75 businesses in the downtown area alone. The Chamber could not yet give a dollar estimate as a result of the flood.

Another Gainsville glass shop that does automotive replacement is expecting additional jobs, as a result of the storm, to begin any day.

"One of the automotive shops we deal with is out of work. They are under four feet of water and all of the cars they were working on are now totaled," says Jody Slaten, co-owner of A Quality Glass.

"Everyone is just waiting for the insurance companies now," Slaten says.

Clint Dalton, manager of Auto Glass of Fort Worth, has had better luck-and already has seen an upswing in business. "Financially it helps us out, and it hasn't hurt us any," he said. Dalton is located about three miles from a highly flooded area, but his shop also remained untouched.

Don Worthy of Richardson Auto Glass Co. in Fort Worth said his company is about a mile from a highly flooded area, but has remained unscathed. "We haven't had any at all, not where we're located," he said.

Shawn Sharrock of BSK Mobile Auto Glass in Denton, Texas, has had similar luck.

"I'm pretty much right in the middle of it, but it hasn't affected me at all," Sharrock said.

Jon Schell of Smitty's Auto Glass in Denton agreed. "Actually, it's [the flooding has] been all around us, but we haven't had much here in Denton," he said. "It's about 30 miles south and 30 miles north and 25 miles to the East, but I guess we're on a little higher ground."

Glenn Davis of Gainesville Glass Co. Inc. in Gainesville, Texas, said the flood just barely missed his shop. "We're here in Gainesville, but it didn't get bad on this end," he said.