Dallas — In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the Dallas-Fort Worth area has seen a dramatic surge in demand for flea markets and related businesses.
While many people are still struggling to get back to work and families are searching for shelter, there are now more than 100 flea vendors in the area.
“I think a lot of the people are out of work and trying to make ends meet,” said David Knecht, owner of The Flea Market at DFW Airport.
“A lot of them have no idea where they are going to find a place to shop.”
Knechuk’s store is a magnet for people from all over the Dallas area, from small towns to sprawling suburbs.
He said his customers come from all walks of life.
“They’re going to have an experience,” he said.
Knech said he often sees people from out of town and they’ll come to his shop for a good meal or a shopping trip.
“It’s really a way to connect,” he added.
Kvets flea show, a $5 million event in downtown Dallas, is scheduled for September 15. “
We have some of the biggest flea shops in the country, and you’ve got to be able to get that right when it’s stormy.”
Kvets flea show, a $5 million event in downtown Dallas, is scheduled for September 15.
It’s expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people.
For the past two years, Kvetts has hosted a $100,000, one-night-only flea sale at his business, and now he hopes to hold another in 2019.
“There are so many people that are trying to survive, and they’re looking for a place that is going to help them,” Kvetch said.
He added that the city is trying to figure out how to better prepare for the coming storm.
“With the flooding, the levees, the floodgates, they’ve been trying to put in more of a barrier, but it’s still not as good as it needs to be,” Kneich said.
“You’re not really going to be safe, because we have to have a plan for how to survive and how to rebuild.”
Knocht has seen people fleeing from the floods in the Houston area, and the city of Houston has been working with other cities in Texas to help the state recover.
“Houston is an epicenter for flooding, and it is in a critical position,” said John Echevarria, a spokesman for Houston.
“And we want to make sure we’re prepared to respond to the next natural disaster.”
A federal judge on Friday ordered a temporary halt to the city’s plan to rebuild floodgated areas around Houston, which could make it more difficult for residents to access floodwaters and flood-control equipment.
The order comes just days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against a request to halt the state’s plan for rebuilding floodwaters from Harvey.
The appeals court ruled that the government can’t stop Houston from spending federal funds to help people rebuild and recover from the floodwaters.
A judge on Monday issued a temporary injunction to halt all federal spending for rebuilding the flooding damage.
“When we can see that the federal government is doing everything in its power to protect our citizens, we’re going, ‘Well, then we should be able,’ ” said Kneechts attorney, Matt Stahl, who represents the city.
“But this is a long-term plan.
It needs to get started now.”
The judge said the city had been working to rebuild levees and fill floodgate holes since the storm.