SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A San Diego gym owner is scrambling to open his business this weekend after New Year's Day flooding devastated the facility just one day before its scheduled grand opening.
Dave Stronach arrived at the Hangar Gym on Kurtz Street on New Year's Day morning to find a scene he described as "horrible, like something from a movie." The 4,500-square-foot space was flooded with ankle-deep water and higher due to backed-up storm drains.
“No words to describe it. Just shock, just frozen," Stronach said about his initial reaction to seeing the damage.
The flooding affected the entire facility, from the brand-new weight room to the just-constructed basketball court. Water flowed through the space "like a river," and some of the concrete underneath the basketball court cracked from the water damage.
In the days following the flood, dozens of staff members and volunteers helped with cleanup efforts. The basketball court tiles were pulled up, dried and reinstalled. The weight room was also dried out and restored.
"We dodged a bullet. A lot of the gym equipment is saved," Stronach said.
The flooding impact extended beyond just the gym.
\From Lakeside to Mission Valley, residents and businesses throughout San Diego County dealt with damage from the New Year's Day storms.
For Stronach, the financial impact is particularly challenging. He said he couldn't purchase flood insurance because the area is considered flood-prone, leaving him to cover repair costs out of pocket.
"A lot of money went into this, a lot of sacrifice. A lot on the line here," Stronach said.
Despite the setback, the gym is moving forward with a soft opening scheduled for Saturday. The weight room is ready for use, along with part of the basketball court, though some concrete still needs to be replaced.
However, the anxiety from the flooding experience continues to weigh on Stronach's mind.
"Very concerned," Stronach said when asked about future rain. "I'd be a fool to think this won't happen again."
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help the gym with recovery efforts.
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