Storm causes concern for Valley construction crews

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- As the wet weather continues to wreak havoc across California, Tuesday's break from the intense rain gave some crews in Fresno County the chance to start fixing the damage left behind.

It was a soggy day for crews working outside on Tuesday. Due to the influx of water, construction crews have to use pumps to mitigate flooding.

Monday's intense rain drenched homes and businesses, causing damage and forcing many projects to be put on hold.

Those extreme weather conditions also limited workers like Daniel Buller with GC Roofing.

Buller says he's using every dry minute to make up for lost time.

"Due to all that heavy rain and lightning, just the amount of water that was on the roof, it wasn't safe to get on and do any repairs, so now we are trying to catch up and pick up everything that we missed from yesterday just to keep people dry," explained Buller.

Brandy Thiesen of GC Roofing also had to pull crews from the jobsite during Monday's torrential rain.

"You can't even make the proper repairs, you can't do your job when it's soaking wet. And nothing will dry, nothing will stick to it, it just sucks to be the tenant and the resident because the rain is coming in and there's nothing really we can do," said Thiesen.

Local developer Reza Assemi agrees. His 28-unit loft project in Downtown Fresno has been on hold for weeks.

Assemi says it is just too muddy right now and his workers are not able to get equipment out nor pour concrete in these conditions.

Building Industry Association President and CEO Mike Prandini says the delays hit many people in the pocket.

"It increases the cost of interest if they are carrying charges on the loans they take out to put in the infrastructure and then the economic impact on the employees who have no work because the ground is too wet to work," Prandini said.