Kerry and Judy Nutter, owners of the Shelby Thrift Shop, had an early morning on Tuesday, July 9. At 5 a.m. Kerry Nutter received a call, warning him of the incoming flood of the Black Fork River which runs adjacent to their shop in downtown Shelby.
They rushed to the shop, arriving around 7:30 a.m. to plug all the drains, the sewer, and all other possible water leaks in the basement. By 10:30 a.m. they had barricaded all the possible leaks with bags of old clothes. In theory, the clothes, once wet, would absorb most of the water and prevent it from flooding the basement. After three hours of work, the basement remained “relatively dry.”
The Nutters bought the building in October 2012. They moved in in November 2012.
With help from friends and family members Tuesday morning, they moved items from the basement into the main floor of the building and trucks, which would transport these items to a storage building across town. There were four truck loads full of clothing items and other valuables.
“We were fortunate to start working early,” stated Kerry Nutter, “because we could have had it much much worse if we hadn’t plugged the drains and sewer.”
The Nutters discussed the possibility of opening up shop later this afternoon. The store is located at 42-44 Main Street in Shelby.
