Scott Raulsome swept the damp hardwood floor ofBurton’s Bookstorebetween walls stripped of paint and below a stained ceiling missing tiles. There were buckets at his feet and hundreds of soaked novels missing from the usually overflowing bookshelves.
A busted pipe “dumped a tub of water into the store” Monday afternoon, Feb. 10, the owner of the popular Greenport shop on Front Street told The Suffolk Times on Wednesday, Feb. 11, as he recounted a book lover’s worst nightmare.
“We were trying to grab stacks of books and move them to a dry spot, while also catching the water,” Mr. Raulsome said. “It was complete mayhem.”
The pipe broke in a vacant apartment above the shop as he was getting ready to close for the day – one of at least 15 incidents across the North Fork from the recent cold spell, including one that forced Southold Town Hall to relocate meetings and close its Justice Court.
Mr. Raulsome said he was alone at around 4:15 p.m., when he heard the steady patter of water hitting the floor. He looked to his right, and water immediately started pouring down. He said if it had happened an hour later, he might not have been there.
Water poured down in the center of the store for several minutes and spread across the entire width of it from left to right. He frantically ran around to find where to shut off the building’s water, which took a few minutes. Even after being shut off, the ceiling tiles started caving in from the weight of the water.
“I started moving books, catching water, finding bins, and I yelled to next door to come help,” he said. “We started moving books off the shelf, trying to get everything out of the way. It was so much. I didn’t even know where to focus.”
While he doesn’t have an exact number, Mr. Raulsome estimates that a few hundred books were ruined. He went back to the store on Wednesday to continue the cleanup, after his insurance rep gave him the green light to do so. His employee, Seth Egan, has been assisting him.
“I guess, on one hand, it could have been worse,” said Mr. Raulsome.
He is working to reopen as quickly as possible, aiming for this Saturday, Feb. 15, with a reduced stock if all goes well. He may need to remain closed until early next week.
Source: The Suffolk Times
