TAMPA, Fla. — Small businesses along Fowler Avenue were devastated when Hurricane Milton made landfall three months ago.
While some have closed for good, business owner Maria Balan is still fighting to stay after both her home and business flooded. Balan’s ‘Kreyol Spice Cuisine’ is one of several businesses that were flooded and have not reopened since.
It’s been three months since the storm, and Balan says nothing has been resolved.
She was told to apply for a Bridge loan, then was referred to FEMA, which denied her, and now she’s appealing another claim that was denied by the Small Business Administration.
“It takes time to build a clientele. So after three months, now it’s like I have to start over again,” said Balan.
When she opened her restaurant, she says she invested over $200,000. She mentions that the financial loss keeps piling up. Her home was also flooded by the storm.
“I have to pay the rent, I have to pay utility, I have to pay my mortgage. Now I’m facing; I’m in a position where my house can go into foreclosure,” she added.
Councilman Luis Viera states that many businesses in that area lack flood insurance as they are located in Flood Zone X. According to FEMA, Flood Zone X indicates an area with moderate-to-low risk for floods.
“The floods are done, but that doesn’t mean the misery is done,” said Viera.
He’s worried that many of these smaller businesses might never reopen.
“These people may not come to City Council and yell at us, so to speak, and speak in public comment,” he said. “That’s because they’re cleaning up their businesses. That’s because they’re paying their taxes. They’re doing the things that they have to do to clean up after this storm. We have to support them. We have to have their back. We can never stop talking about what these people have gone through.”
For more than a decade, Balan says her business has invested in the community by creating jobs. She says she doesn’t want a handout but would appreciate a hand-up to improve her situation.
“They failed us as business owners because they’re supposed to be able to do more than that,” she said.
When Balan spoke with Spectrum News on Wednesday, she mentioned that the power to her home was cut off due to non-payment. She also had a storage unit containing $15,000 worth of merchandise for her business that has been sent to auction.
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