Looking inside Native Poppy today, you’d never guess that one year ago, the floral warehouse and shop was completely waterlogged.
The Jan. 22, 2024 floods hit on a day the shop was normally closed. Owner Natalie Gill went in after hearing that floodwaters were rushing through her business.
She arrived about 20 minutes after the raging water made its way inside.
“When I walked into this building, there was still two and a half feet of standing water in here," Gill said.
Thousands of dollars worth of flowers and other merchandise were ruined. But there was no time for hand-wringing. The biggest day for florists was nearly upon them.
“We had Valentine’s Day coming, and we need to operate for Valentine’s Day. So, it was all hands on deck to just kind of clean and get the supplies just needed for Valentine’s Day," Gill said.
After a fairly successful Valentine’s Day, Gill and her team had time to catch their breath and think about what was next.
“So we decided we were gonna start looking to move because that would be in our best interests," she said.
But San Diego’s sky-high rents put a move out of reach. Along the way, Gill said their loyal customer base has been invaluable in their survival.
“It was really encouraging to know that our community is resonating with what we’re doing and they want us to stick around. It just sucks that we have to see that during a tragedy like that," she said.
Today, Native Poppy looks pretty much like it did before the flood. But the unseen damage remains: the knowledge that the creek could rise again, and they could be right back where they were one year ago.
For now, it’s onward and upward. Gill has decided to reopen their small gift shop.
“It’s important that we reopen it, so we’re working right now on reopening it, and it will be open for February," said Gill.
So, one year out, Gill and her team are making the best of their location. They’re staying put, with their merchandise up higher off the floor than before.
She said they’ll be as ready as they can be if, she said “when” the waters come again. Through it all, Gill said she’s staying positive for herself, and her employees.
“I wanna do right by my team, so I’m going to say it’s gonna be great. We’re delivering smiles for miles," Gill said with a laugh.
You could call it resilience — through the power of flowers.
