Businesses in Dumas face damages following the flooding, tough upcoming period for the locals

Dumas, Arkansas – Floodwaters have dried up in Dumas, but businesses now face the damage they suffered in the last days. Local business owners say the upcoming period will be tough for them as they struggle to stay open with heavy water damage.

Dumas Inn, a hotel that has been operating successfully for eight years, survived the pandemic and was ready to welcome guests this summer, but then the flooding disaster happens. Their parking lot was completely in water, and what is even worse, most of that watered ended up inside.

“It went in all the downstairs rooms,” said Prachi Patel, one of the inn’s owners, “and we have to switch out all the carpets.”

A total of 25 rooms are damaged, which is half of the full hotel capacity. Furniture, carpets, everything is damaged.

“We can’t rent the downstairs rooms,” added Pryti Patel.

Their insurance won’t cover any of the damage and the owners will have to pay everything out of their pocket. Following the pandemic year, this is not something we need it they added.

“Not a lot of floods happen here in Dumas,” explained Prachi, “so we never got any flooding insurance.”

Dumas Inn is just one business among many others in the area that now face long way to getting back to normal.