Tire businesses get boost from aftermath

The wind and rain from hurricanes Gustav and Ike are long gone, but the storms are still managing to complicate life for Teche Area residents in a way they might not have expected -- they’re causing flat tires.

Several service centers and garages around town are benefiting from the debris and shingles scattered and left in the roads by Gustav and Ike.

“We’ve seen about a 25 percent increase in business since the storms,” said Kevin Theriot, owner and manager of Theriot’s Service Center. “Really, any time you have a storm like this, you see a bit of an increase. There’s a whole lot of stuff in the road.”

It has been a good month for many garages.

Iberia Discount Tire owner A.J. Dore said his business increased significantly before the storms as customers lined up to have their tires and oil changed in anticipation of evacuating.

“People were flocking in here,” he said, adding the hurricanes three years ago also boosted business.

“After so many people migrated here, we saw a big increase,” Dore said.

John Catanzaro, owner of Ross Tire Service, said the influx of flat tires has been rather steady.

“We’re still getting about five or six a day, I’d say,” Catanzaro said. “We’ve had plenty.”