AMONG the businesses to feel the brunt of the stormy weather was Driftwood, in Sandown, where an estimated £100,000 worth of damage was caused when seawater smashed its way past metal shutters.
Owner Sean Ware said it is the worst weather damage to the Culver Parade business he’s seen in more than 40 years.
“It came through the storm shutters, filling the void, and the only way it can come out is to come through the windows,” said Sean.
“It’s blown the windows clean off. That’s how strong it was.
“It’s completely destroyed one shutter. The salt water has got into the motor.
“Salt water is a killer. To give you some idea how powerful the waves were, it’s bent the metal beyond belief.
“Outside, it’s taken the top of the sea wall off, and we’ve had to strip a load of floor panelling out.
“It went right through the bar.
“The place is built to drain – the floor is suspended – so by the morning the water was all gone.
“Behind the bar, it doesn’t drain so quick. We had about two inches of water in there.
“Once the water forced one of the shutters up – and I don’t know how it’s done that – it just battered the inside.
“When we walked in, the original estimation of the damage was £30,000. Now we’re up to £100,000.
“The whole bar is gone. Everything is broke; £17,000 coffee machine, £8,000 worth of tills, freezers, card machine, Wi-Fi system, phones, electrical equipment.
“We picked one of the tills up and there was water pouring out of it. One of them was only a week old.
“The final cost will depend on whether we need to rewire the bar. If we do that, we have to empty it and take all the wall panelling off.
“The majority of the cost was outside. There’s £10,000 worth of furniture between here and Bembridge.
“We found a couple of bits up Yaverland. It’s all gone.
“I think we’ve lost 20 tables and 100 chairs.
“It’s a very harsh environment down here.”
Despite the considerable damage, the Driftwood team have been hard at work this morning, and Sean thinks he will have it up and running again by the weekend.
New tills are due to arrive tomorrow (Thursday).
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