POWELL, Tenn. — A gym in Powell is watching incoming storms closely, preparing for the possibility of flooding. It would not be the first time staff at the gym found inches of water when they went to work.
Crossroads Fitness flooded once in 2019 and again in 2020. The first time, owner Samantha Lambert says 18 inches of water seeped into the building. Both times, she repaired the building and the equipment.
The business owner of five years welcomed back customers.
Lambert loves owning a gym. However, there is a problem. The gym is located next to a creek, inside a flood zone.
"If you're in a flood zone, it could be $800 or $900 a year, up to $1,000 [for flood insurance," Chaz Goodin, owner of Elite Insurance Agency. "Depending on how severe it is and how many floods they've had."
So, the gym is required to have flood insurance. However, damages from the previous flooding were paid out of pocket. They caused minor damage and insurance would not cover their repairs. People in the community helped the gym clean up after the floods.
Lambert prepared for the second flood with sandbags and taped some plastic around areas where water could get in.
Her deductible is around $25,000, so the gym decided not to cash it in. Wednesday marks the second anniversary of the first flood, and Lambert feels hopeful.
"Knock on wood," she said. "And if the creek rises, then we know we need to be a little bit more action-focused on making sure everything is safe."
Experts also said it's best to have flood insurance compared to not having it, even if a home or business is not located in a flood zone. They said water damage could range from $1,000 to $4,000 in repairs.