Wilfried Zenker, of East Hartland, Conn., secures a new generator into the trunk of his car Monday as residents prepared for today’s snowstorm. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – Businesses large and small are feeling the effects of a huge snowstorm sweeping into the area Monday.
Fran Hartnett, owner of Westfield Home and Garden on Springfield Road, said Monday afternoon that his store is stocked with rock salt, sand, calcium chloride, shovels and roof rakes for customers to come in and purchase.
“Snow blowers, generators, we’ve got it all,” said Hartnett. “We’re prepared and we’re going to hopefully be here (Tuesday). If people need something we’ll be here, one way or the other.”
Randy Cross, manager of Rocky’s Ace Hardware on Free Street, said that his store is well-stocked with salt and sand, as well as ice melt and shovels.
“We stocked up ahead of time, so we have held up pretty well,” he said.
Cross advised customers to stock up on essential goods and adhere to the city’s parking ban, which went into effect Monday evening at 5 p.m.
“Stay the heck off the road and let the DPW do their jobs,” he said, adding that his store has put a big order in for Thursday.
“Even though we may be running out of some stuff, this stuff will be back in stock early Thursday morning,” said Cross.
While shovels, sand, salt and snow rakes have been predictably flying off the shelves in many of the bigger box stores in the region, smaller stores such as Westfield Home and Garden and Rocky’s Ace, as well as A. Boilard Sons, Inc., a building supplies company based in Springfield’s Indian Orchard neighborhood, will be selling bags of salt and sand, along with shovels and even generators, that people can walk in and purchase from their Oak Street location in Springfield.
“We have plenty of different types of salts available and we still have a few generators and snow rakes in stock, as well as plenty of propane,” said Michael Boilard, president of A. Boilard Sons.
Boilard stated that people residing all over Hampden County are welcome from all over Hampden County and that they can even call the company in advance to make sure what they need is still in stock.
He added that, while he isn’t expecting a flood of people but that there have been a few new faces arriving to purchase items to combat the incoming snow.
“We’ve probably sold 300, 400 bags of rock salt already to probably about 150 people or so,” said Boilard Monday. “Right now, we’ve got plenty of stock and we should make it through the day OK.”
Boilard said that the company closes for the day at 4:30 p.m. and the amount of snow the area receives overnight will determine whether they’ll be open Tuesday.
“But we’ll be here until people stop coming,” he said.
Home Depot said it’s seeing high demand for shovels, salt, snow throwers and other suppliers throughout the mid-Atlantic up through New England. Stephen Holmes, a Home Depot spokesman, said the company’s supply chain and merchandising teams are working closely to replenish any stores that run out of items. Around 2:30 p.m., Holmes said it was too early to tell if the storm would have any impact on store hours.
Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, said the storm was hitting at a relatively slow time for the retail sector and he did not expect stores to experience huge losses.
“We have certainly had past storms during the holiday season or right around Valentine’s Day which had more lost sales than will be likely seen this week,” Hurst said.
Some retailers, particularly food and hardware stores, will benefit in the run-up to the storm, he added.
The storm is hitting at an inopportune time for car dealers in the Northeast as they try to close out January with strong sales numbers. But Dwight McGuirk, president of Smith Cairns Subaru in Yonkers, New York, says he’s not worried.
He expects to lose a couple of days of sales on Tuesday and maybe Wednesday, but says customers will return as soon as the weather breaks. “If they don’t buy it tomorrow, they’ll buy it next week,” he said Monday.
Because the storm affects such a highly populated area, it’s likely to cut into U.S. sales in January a bit, said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president forecasting for LMC Automotive, an industry consulting firm. But unlike last year, when much of the country was in a prolonged deep freeze, Schuster said the impact should be temporary.
“Assuming that this isn’t just one of many to come, this particular blizzard, the impact should be minimal,” he said.
Westfield-based Keith G. Roy Construction is advising Homeowners and businesses to be cautious of snow on their roofs, as not removing the 18 to 24 inches expected during the storm could have serious consequences.
Home and business owners should be mindful of the potential for roof collapse, frozen pipes and general property damage from the storm.
According to statement on behalf of Keith G. Roy Construction, roofs that are flat or slightly pitched are at the greatest risk of collapse.
Exterior signs of a potential roof collapse include shingles that are warped, loose, missing or torn. Shingles that are covered in moss or vegetation can be prone to rot.
Loose material around chimneys, pipes, along with excessive debris on roof that can lead to rot as well.
Overhanging branches from nearby trees can also gouge the roof in a storm, which could damage a weak roof structure.
Interior signs of potential roof damage include spots and leaks on a ceiling, cracked paint or walls and peeling wallpaper, discolored plasterboard, mold on walls, ceiling, insulation, as well as poorly ventilated attics that show signs of moisture.
