1. Where were you when the flood barrier broke in April of 2019? What was your immediate

reaction or response?

I was at home when the barrier broke on Tuesday April 30, 2019. The day prior, Monday

April 29th, I had been in the salon preparing to close for the flood for an undetermined

amount of time. At that point, the water had already reached the front door of the building

and was still rising. When the barriers breached on Tuesday, the water levels rose quickly and

drastically completely encompassing the entire building that houses my salon. Not knowing

how much damage was/would be done was very nerve wracking. As it was a record breaking flood, no one knew what to expect.

My landlord spent a lot of time securing the buildings across the street and did not put up barriers to protect the building that we are located in. I had no idea what to expect or do and was at the mercy of the information I was being provided by the City of Davenport, the alderman, and my landlord. Once the initial flood waters began to recede, I took the measures to protect the building for not only my business, but for the benefit of the 3 other businesses located in our building. I contacted the City of Davenport to have sandbags delivered to construct a temporary flood wall to hopefully deviate the water so we could stay in the salon during the next round of flooding. 2 tons of loose sand and 2,000 bundled sandbags were delivered. I assembled a crew of about 10 volunteers to fill all the sandbags and create our flood barrier over 2 days. Unfortunately, since the infrastructure of the sewer system in Davenport floods upward through the sewer grates, I was still forced to manage varying levels of flood waters for weeks. I had to construct a makeshift bridge to go over the flooded areas of the parking lot so staff and clients could access the building.

2.How did the flooding impact your restaurant / storefront / bar / event space on a physical level?
The flood of 2019 displaced my business for 2 1/2 weeks, but upset our normal business for months. The basement of the building flooded, destroying my water heater. I can't operate without a water heater, so I had to have a tankless water heater installed, which forced me to close for 2 additional days. A tankless water heater does not keep up with the demand, so we struggled with inconsistent water for several weeks until we could get an additional water heater installed as well as a back-up. It took weeks to get all the cancelled appointments rescheduled. The schedules of my employees had to be adjusted in order to accommodate clients that had to be moved and I had to give discounts to clients who were less than understanding about the situation.

3. How did the flooding impact your business on a financial or emotional level?
Financially, the salon took a big hit. In the few weeks we were closed, we lost roughly $15,000 in revenue. Myself and my employees were fortunate to be able to go to a couple of other local salons that offered for us to share their space to take a few clients during the weeks that we were closed. However, it paled in comparison to our full schedules within the salon. Also, the bills at the salon didn't stop just because we were closed. Luckily, I was able to work with the Downtown Davenport Partnership to receive a grant a few months later to help offset some of the money we lost during the time of the flood.

4. How were you able to overcome that obstacle? How long did it take to get your place back "up and running" and "open for business" again?
I was able to overcome the flooding with the help of the City of Davenport, Walcott Trust & Savings Bank, Chamber of Commerce, and again, the Downtown Davenport Partnership. Also, many of the Downtown Davenport business owners who were impacted by the flood also created a coalition so we could all get together and show one another support as well as work with the city to find solutions to the problems we were facing and proper flood mitigation.

5. What help did you need and / or receive in order to do so? Were there "heroes" and "helpers" that rushed to your aid in your time of need?
The City of Davenport was pretty helpful, but they were managing the flood on a much bigger scale than I was. As I mentioned before, my landlord wasn't any help, so I was lucky to be able to call on the help of some family and friends to come help with sandbagging. Also, the other salon owner's that reached out to me to offer myself and my team a place to work temporarily during the closure were an absolute blessing.

6. Has something like this (flooding on the river) impacted you before? If so, where did this take place? What happened then?
No, I had never been impacted by the flooding before 2019. But, the fear of it happening again still haunts me. As we are currently closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, I have still been keeping a watchful eye on the river levels and checking the area around the salon for any flood waters.

7. What do you think we need to do to combat issues, such as river flooding, that are impacting our local community on such a large scale?
Having a comprehensive flood mitigation plan is paramount to being prepared. The breach happened to the HESCO barriers last year because the barrier wasn't constructed to the correct specifications and wasn't reinforced after protecting the city for weeks. Keeping a watchful eye on the soil saturation levels, snow and rainfall, and flood mitigation protocols in cities on the northern Mississippi River makes a big difference as to how Davenport/Quad Cities deciphers what measures need to be put in place to protect our city to the best of their ability.

8. What does your business mean to you? Why is it so important to you?
My business means everything to me. I come from a family of entrepreneurs and each member of my immediate family owns their own business. I worked for many years to learn and hone many skills that I would require to operate my own business. It has been an ongoing labor of love since the day I opened the doors of Polished hair Lounge. I have worked too long and hard to create my business to watch it be literally washed away with the flood waters. It supports my family and will eventually send my son to college. It has allowed me to continue on a creative path while also challenging me to run a business single-handedly.

9. What do the Quad Cities mean to you? What are some of your favorite places (particularly on the riverfront), and why do they hold a special place in your heart?
I am a native of the Quad Cities. Born and raised here, I have lived here all my life. I have watched family and friends move away for college or jobs over the years, and luckily some of them have moved back. But, the Quad Cities is home. Always will be for me. My family has roots here and have always been active in supporting the community.
We have always enjoyed going to River Bandit's games, the bike path along the river, Front Street Brewery, Hot Glass and so many more that were affected by the record-breaking flood of 2019. Thankfully, the Quad Cities and its citizens know how to step up and show our resilience during a difficult time and was able to keep the businesses affected afloat.

Interview with Tricia Collins from Polished Hair Lounge QC, Davenport

Photos Courtesy of Polished Hair Lounge QC, Facebook Page