CHEHALIS, Wash. - Less than a week after the flood waters receded, most businesses are back open in Chehalis and Centralia.

All they need are customers.

The Chamber of Commerce says 90 percent of local businesses, even those affected by the flood, are open for business - including Darris McDaniel's grocery, Shop'n Kart.

Last week, the sprawling grocery store was under water. 

"It was just like a dam busted," McDaniel said. "In 45 minutes we had 6 feet of water."

In July, he had just finished paying off the loans from the last flood in 1996.

"In July, I was debt-free," he said.  "I guess I'm not destined to be debt-free."

Volunteers from other grocery stores from as far away as Pasco and Ashland, Ore. helped make his place squeaky clean. If you didn't know, you would have never guessed just days ago it was filled with soggy boxes, overturned freezer cases, and mud.

Nearby, Linda McCraw and her mother manufacture EZ Mitts, cleaning gloves for all situations.

The company lost its equipment and most of its inventory. They've applied for a low interest Small Business Administration loan.

"Praying to god that it will put us back into business," Linda McCraw said. "Or we don't have anything.

But the impact from the flooding didn't just affect businesses that were flooded.

The Centralia Outlets never saw a drop of flood water, but between last week's I-5 closing and news coverage about the disaster, people thought the Outlets were closed too. 

Today, the complex even saw the opening of a new store.

"We employ over 200 people in the community, and it's important that people come and shop, so people still have their jobs," said Renate Johnson, a spokesperson.

Here's another aspect of life in the storm zone that's improving: The Department of Health reports almost all of the storm-stricken water systems in southwest Washington now have at least limited water service.