For Some, the Silver Lining Is Just That : Business: Those selling raincoats, umbrellas, pumps and dehumidifiers find that bad weather helps move the goods. Repair service firms are inundated with orders.
Amusement park operators don’t find rain very amusing. Even Disneyland, which keeps attendance figures close to the vest, admits that Main Street USA welcomes far fewer visitors on a damp day such as Monday.
But at the “Happiest Place on Earth,” the wet stuff brings a rainbow with it. Bright yellow ponchos sporting the ubiquitous Mickey Mouse sell like, well, like umbrellas in a downpour. And, yes, the umbrellas shoot out of gift stores by the hundreds.
“Half the people at the park seem to have on those slickers today,” Disneyland spokesman John McClintock said. “It’s surprising how many people come to the park without rain gear.”
The plastic overcoats sell for $4.25 for the adult size and $3.75 for the child size. Mickey Mouse umbrellas go for $6.95 and $32--the fancier version sports pop-up ears.
Those can’t, of course, compensate for the lost revenue in ticket sales. “But it doesn’t hurt,” McClintock said.
Most businesses view rain with the mixed emotions Southern Californians in general express: We’re glad it alleviates our drought symptoms, but we don’t much like the medicine.
However, some enterprises actually prosper. Take the Rug Bug Carpet Co. in Laguna Niguel.
“We’re getting 20 calls an hour,” said Chris Godfrey, president of the carpet cleaner, which mops up messes in leaky houses and office buildings.
The company provides pumps and dehumidifiers to counteract catastrophes large and small. “We have 50 employees, and every one of them is out in the field today,” Godfrey said.
In fact, many Orange County service companies offering water-damage repair were so overwhelmed Monday that supervisors were not around to answer the phone.
“Normally, our average volume is eight to 10 jobs a day; it doubles when we have rain like this,” said Dennis Blake, owner and president of Better Floors & Restoration in Placentia.
Typical problems include water seeping under sliding glass doors and sewer-system backups, Blake said. His business does everything from drying carpeting to refinishing damaged furniture.
But, Blake said, collecting money for rain-related work can prove difficult. “It’s a headache. Often people discover that their insurance doesn’t cover rain loss, and they act like they shouldn’t have to pay us. We start out the good guys, the heroes--and then we turn into the bad guys just because we want to be paid.”
Hale Glass Inc. of Anaheim comes to the rescue when windows don’t keep the elements at bay. “We’re getting 50 calls a day, easy, due to the rain,” owner Brian Hale said.
He’s seen all sorts of makeshift drip pans over the past few days: “Trash cans, paper cups, plant containers--anything that will hold water.”
And everyone thinks that his or her own particular circumstance is the worst crisis imaginable. “They want you right now ,” Hale said.
The problem is, caulking requires sunny weather to set, so Hale’s repair staff must wait out the rain. “Meanwhile, our usual jobs are backing up, as well as all these leak repairs,” he said.
Ross & Barrows Roofing Inc. in Santa Ana needs blue skies as well for heavy-duty repairs. But the company does offer an immediate fix for emergencies--tar patches that act as Band-Aids.
“We’ve received over 500 calls already this year for leaky roofs,” said Tim Grantham, a Ross & Barrows supervisor. “A lot of people let their roofs go until it rains really hard, and suddenly they can’t procrastinate.”
After suffering through a construction slowdown, the rain offers a splash of relief, Grantham said. “With the recession and the drought, things have been looking pretty bleak lately for the roofing industry. This is a nice way to start the new year.”
Fender-benders wrought by slick streets have increased business by about 10% at Showcase Paint & Collision body shop in Placentia. “I went home at midnight Saturday and worked all day Sunday,” manager J.R. Rutherford said.
The interest in rain apparel has kept employees hopping at Burberry’s in South Coast Plaza. “We’re really busy because of both the rain and the Martin Luther King holiday,” assistant manager Colleen Blumenberg said. “We’re sold out of umbrellas, and we’ve sold 10 coats today.”
That’s a lot of trench coats and umbrellas, considering that Burberry’s start at $660 and $65, respectively--a tad bit pricier than Disneyland’s--and sans Mickey Mouse.
