Opry Mills Mall is closed until further notice, and that has the mall’s employees wondering what to do next.
Beverly McKissack, general manager of the Osh Kosh B’Gosh kids clothing store is waiting to see if she and the store’s 14 other hourly employees will get paid.
“I have two employees in the Pennington Bend area that got hit real hard, and they want to know if they’re going to get a check.”
McKissack says company officials aren‘t even sure what to do. She says there’s talk of sending her and other employees to a store in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Some workers in the mid-state aren’t waiting for the floodwaters to recede to find out if they still have a job.
Phillip Melton, manager of Riverview Restaurant in Ashland City, says his boss told him it could be three months before re-opening.
“I’ve got three kids, and a mortgage, and fortunately my wife is still working. Because it just got declared a disaster area, we can apply for federal disaster unemployment, and that’ll help some but it‘s not going to be what I‘m used to making.”
The restaurant is near a dock and almost completely under water. Melton says the owner will wait for the Army Corps of Engineers to say it’s safe before deciding to rebuild. In the meantime, Melton says he’s looking for part-time work to get through the setback.
“I can run a chainsaw. I can run power tools. I can operate a shovel if I have to. At this point, I’m just looking for work.”
A total of six Tennessee counties are now federal disaster areas: Davidson, Williamson, Cheatham, Hickman, Montgomery, and Dyer. That means federal aid will help businesses and families pay for their flood loss. To register for federal disaster aid, go to www.fema.gov or call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).