AKRON, Ohio (WOIO) – The Noisy Oyster in Akron was hit by severe storms and flash flooding Thursday night. Owner Jonathan Curtis said his dining room and kitchen were flooded within minutes. Now he and his crew are working to clean up all the damage.

“The tiles broke off, the floor rose and a lot of water got in. A lot of water,” says Curtis.

The storms hit the Noisy Oyster amidst the evening crowds. The restaurant was flooded and the storm brought several inches of rain.

“The water came through and brought the mud with it. It was probably about 40 centimeters high on the walls,” says Curtis.

Curtis says the storms came very quickly. Within just about thirty minutes, the restaurant was flooded and he immediately got his customers and employees to safety.

“The water started coming in around 8 p.m. We were busy making dinner. By 8:30 p.m. we were all standing outside on the sidewalk under the overhang,” Curtis says.

Over the last few days, Curtis and his staff have been working hard trying to clear away all the mud.

On Monday, they could be seen wiping down tables and chairs in the parking lot outside the restaurant.

“The mud here was really deep. So the first day we had a couple of volunteers with shovels and wheelbarrows to get all the mud out. Just get the mud out,” says Curtis.

What helped Curtis get through was the support of the community.

Numerous online fundraisers have been launched to help Noisy Oyster and its employees.

“When I saw the Go Fund Me campaign for the staff, I was quite touched. The amount of money that I didn’t get is really astonishing,” says Curtis.

But the support doesn’t end there. On Thursday, August 15, Tiki Underground is holding a fundraiser for its fellow entrepreneurs.

Curtis says the best way to support him, his staff and his restaurant is through online fundraisers, but if someone is willing to help with the cleanup, he won’t turn them away.

Curtis says he hopes to partially reopen the restaurant by the end of next week.

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