The coin-op amusement industry along the east coast of America has been left picking up the pieces after the arrival of Hurricane Irene over the weekend.
According to reports by US national trade press, the eastern shore was hit pretty hard and everything on the coast was shut down. Nick Sariglou of Betson Baltimore told RePlay magazine: "We weathered the storm, but it’s been quite a week with an earthquake and then a hurricane."
AMI Entertainment, which is based near Philadelphia, reportedly kept its offices closed over the past few days as it was without electricity. However, the manufacturer’s Allison Ondik confirmed that all colleagues appeared to be safe.
Along the New Jersey shore, operators were closed throughout most of the weekend. "It costs the industry revenue, but when you put it in perspective to the people who lost their homes and lives, it was a small price to pay," Jack Guarnieri of Elaut USA told Replay. "Fortunately, everybody was prepared. Now people are setting up again and getting ready for the coming Labour Day weekend."
