Record Collectors Left Reeling After Seattle's Beloved Music Hub Suffers Devastating Loss

SEATTLE — Seattle’s flagship record store took a devastating hit last week when a burst pipe flooded Easy Street Records overnight. As the store’s staff and owners arrived for work, they were met with the sight of thousands of records submerged in water, leaving many of the store’s rarest and most valuable items at risk of irreparable damage.

The incident, which happened in the early hours of the morning, left staff reeling as they quickly tried to mitigate the damage. With a clear sense of urgency, the team began the arduous task of assessing the impact of the flood and making a plan to recover as much stock as possible.

"We’re heartbroken," said Matt Vaughan, owner of Easy Street Records. "This store has been a Seattle institution for decades, and to see it suffer like this is incredibly tough to see. We’ve lost a lot of stock, and some of our rarest records may be beyond repair."

The damage is estimated to run into thousands, and it is still unclear how many records have been damaged beyond repair. However, what is clear is that the store will require significant investment to restore its stock to its former glory.