CINCINNATI — As you drive down Kellogg Avenue, you’ll still see some businesses flooded by the Ohio River. But now you’ll also see others cleaning up the damage left behind.
"A lot of mud, a lot of dirt ... shelving tipped over, racks tipped over," said David Barkett, director of retail operations for the Shell gas station on Kellogg.
That’s what Barkett and his team saw when they first entered their gas station after this year’s historic flooding, which was much higher than they anticipated.
"We have marks in the building as to where it happened in 2018, so in preparation, we kind of tried to secure everything or remove what we could up to that point," Barkett said.
WATCH: Historic flood waters damage local gas station, ruins nearly everything
They've now made a new 2025 flood mark, which is around a foot and a half higher than 2018’s mark.
Because the water was so much higher than expected, they’re dealing with a lot more damage — from thin drywall, a broken ATM, shot wiring, a need for new counters and cabinets and thousands of dollars worth of merchandise destroyed.
"Everything inside the store as far as merchandise to sell, is now not functional. it has to be disposed of," Barkett said.
While there is a lot of damage inside, the outside was luckily OK. Barkett says all the gas pumps seem to be working, but they do have a second missing ice machine that floated away.
Other businesses like the Harbour Towne Yacht Club and Tucker's Landing are still unsure of what their damage will look like because they are still closed due to floodwater.
"You know, we just hope everyone on the street the best, and hopefully, we can all come through and survive," Barkett said.
As the water continues to recede, the City of Cincinnati is keeping an eye on those facing damage.
"We’re early on in the assessment of the damage, not just to the parks but to the full riverfront community," Mayor Aftab Pureval said.
On Saturday, the city is calling for volunteers to help with flood clean-up. Volunteers are asked to meet at 8 a.m. at LeBlond Recreation Center.
If your home or business is in need of flood clean-up help, you can call 211.
