Napa Businesses: Quake Cleanup Shouldn't Deter Tourism
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Businesses in California's wine capital are mopping up thousands of dollars in high-end vintages and sweeping glass from ghostly downtown streets that officials hope will soon bustle again with tourists following the San Francisco Bay Area's strongest earthquake in 25 years.
With the dust still settling from Sunday's magnitude-6.0 quake that struck Napa County, local officials estimated Monday that Napa Valley suffered $1 billion in property damage, including the wineries where the quake smashed bottles and overturned wine barrels.
Napa County Supervisor Bill Dodd says that since 80 percent of the region's 500 wineries were unaffected, the long-term economic impact to businesses should be modest.
Tourism officials encourage visitors to keep flocking to the charming towns, tasting rooms, restaurants and spas that drive the Napa Valley economy.
PHOTOS: Napa Quake damage
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