Trending
WHEELING -- A spectacular view of the Ohio River looms large everyday through the newly placed glass doors and windows of the rehabilitated and recently opened Waterfront Place on Water Street in downtown Wheeling.
On Wednesday, the scene was gray and the water was rising.
Dan Milleson, owner and developer of Waterfront Place, wasn't worried just yet.
"I keep checking the National Weather Service weather site, and it looks like it's going to crest at 40 to 41 feet," he said. "I think we're OK here as long as we don't get any rain (on Thursday). I don't think it's calling for it."
The National Weather Service said Wednesday evening that the river will crest at 41.7 feet sometime tonight.
Milleson said he does believe water could come into the basement at Waterfront Place. He has been checking on a regular basis to see if any water is seeping through.
"It's totally dry down there," he said. "I'll be back down there again tomorrow after the water crests just to see and establish a benchmark -- 'this is what 40.5 feet looks like.'"
While this is the first time Waterfront Place has experienced the threat of flooding since it opened late last year, Milleson has actually owned the property since 2018.
"I've seen some of this (high water) already, but this is the highest it's been in the last five years," Milleson continued. "As far as an emergency plan, there's none in place at this time. We're just trying to monitor for what is the benchmark for a serious worry here at Waterfront Hall."
The facility previously was home to Berry Supply, a retail business that operated for nearly 200 years along Water Street. Much work happened over the last five years to renovate the building and make certain it was in compliance with flood plain requirements, Milleson explained.
"Because the building's occupancy changed, we had to follow in its rehabilitation all of the newly applied flood code," he continued. "When we put all of the new infrastructure in (such as the mosaic tile on the floor) it all had to fit within the floodplain guidelines....
"So we don't really have much threatened other than our Coca Cola products in the basement."
Toni DiCarlo, owner of DiCarlo's Pizza downtown, has seen her share of river flooding over the years.
"You just pray," she said. "That's my way. You just hand it over (to God.)"
DiCarlo noted the shop is high enough and close enough to Main Street that it is "usually pretty safe in terms of water getting to the building."
"Where we have to be concerned is with the plumbing," she continued. "If the water gets too high we lose the use of our restroom and sinks, and that puts us in fear of having to close.
"Other than that, we just try to keep safe and go as long as we can."
Debbie Wood is general manager at the National Equipment Company, located at the corner of 14th and Water streets.
She remembers a flood in 1996 that brought two to three inches of water into their store, which was at that time carpeted.
"Everything is on wheels," she said Wednesday of items in the showroom. "We can just wheel them up into our warehouse area.
"Then we sandbag the doors and hope for the best."
Wood noted the store's basement was already starting to take on water on Wednesday.
"So we will be shutting off the furnace and bringing whatever equipment is down there out of the basement."
Dub Childers, maintenance director at the Robert C. Byrd Intermodal Transportation Center, said Wednesday he was just making certain items were up off the ground there. He also expressed concerns that drains could overflow within the garage if the river rises too high.
At Table 304 in the Flatiron Building near the parking garage, employee Devon Snider wasn't certain what to expect.
"In terms of preparation, when we close I'll probably just go check out the area," she said. "At most, we'll probably just put up the furniture."