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Storm Cleanup Gets Underway In Oakdale

OAKDALE (KDKA) -- Mud is the word of the day in Oakdale. The flood waters have receded and left behind a huge mess.

At Graff's Dog Grooming, they were busy cleaning up the mud.

They've already ripped out the damaged dry wall, but they can't help but think back to the frightening moment on Wednesday when the water came up fast.

"It came up in seconds; we didn't have much time to react," said Maree Campbell, of Graff's Dog Grooming.

They put the dogs they were working on in cages, picked them up and made a run for it.

"We tried to get to the end of the bank, but the water came up too fast," said Jenny Snatchko, of Graff's Dog Grooming. "I yelled to my friend, 'we've got to go to higher ground,' so then we walked up the hill and with the dogs across, lost my shoes."

At Ron Watters Automotive, they're also dealing with a layer of mud.

The same is true at a nearby pizza and wings place where the force of the water overturned chairs.

And the cleanup is daunting inside Huckleberry's Grocery Store with chips and snacks now floating in muddy water. The owners say no food can be salvaged and plenty of equipment was ruined, too.

Rebuilding the business is a daunting idea right now, and Marlene Birnei isn't sure she's up for it.

"This is our second flood here. I really couldn't say, looking at the worst of it, you want to say know, but you never know," she said.

RELATED LINKS:
Flash Flood Brings Back Bad Memories For Oakdale Residents (7/11/13)
More Oakdale News

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