Stores and shops in hard-hit Gardiner are continuing to reopen after the Dec. 18 flood that brought five feet of water or more into downtown businesses, knocking out heating systems, destroying inventory and causing thousands of dollars in damage.

Bintliff’s Corner Brew is set to reopen Tuesday and the local Hannaford is looking to bring customers back in April, a spokeswoman confirmed Thursday.

The good news follows what’s been a tough several weeks for businesses up and down the Kennebec River, along with other inland communities that were swamped by a powerful rain and windstorm in December.

Gardiner Mayor Patricia Hart said despite the flood that filled basements and threatened to seep into street-level businesses, the community pulled together to show their support.

“The customers came back quickly to do their holiday shopping even with stores who were operating by candlelight,” she said. “The community really rallied around businesses, and I know the community is really looking forward to Bintliff’s café and coffee opening up on Tuesday. That’s been an important fixture in our downtown community.”

Statewide, four people died during the storm that knocked out power to more than 400,000, some of whom were without power for several days.

Then in January, two storms just days apart tore into the coast, driving storm surge into shops and businesses, tearing off docks and dragging historic fishing shacks out to sea.

Earlier this month, Gov. Janet Mills and Federal Emergency Management Agency officials opened a recovery center in Skowhegan for residents and businesses impacted by the December storm.

It’s the first time since 2008 that the state has qualified for individual assistance, which is different from the federal funds that typically flow to the states to pay for roads, bridges and other public infrastructure.

“This type of assistance can help you repair your house, pay for a temporary place to stay or replace your furniture or belongings among other things damaged by the storm,” Mills said on Feb. 6.

Since then, other recovery centers have opened in Lewiston at the Armory; in Rumford at the municipal building; in Farmington at the Roberts Learning Center at the University of Maine and in Manchester at the fire department on Readfield Road.

Those needing help can also visit DisasterAssitance.gov or call 800-621-3362, according to the FEMA website.

The storm flooded the Gardiner Hannaford, leaving the city of 6,000 without a full-service grocery store. The store just recently set a reopening date after dealing with extensive damage.

“We anticipate that our Gardiner store will reopen in early April,” Caitlin Cortelyou, Hannaford spokeswoman, said Thursday via email. “We sincerely appreciate the community’s loyalty and understanding and look forward to reopening the doors of our Gardiner store soon.”

Hart said the city had little warning of the severity of the coming flood and did what they could to warn those downtown, including residents who live above many of the shops.

The lack of a grocery store within walking distance of the downtown has been a hardship for those residents for several weeks, she said.

Gardiner is particularly susceptible to flooding because it sits at the confluence of Cobbossee Stream, which runs behind downtown buildings, and the Kennebec River. Last May, the stream spilled over its banks flooding parking lots behind the buildings.

But this time around, it was the river.

“Because the two meet there’s nowhere for the water to go,” Hart said. “When the water is coming out of Cobbossee Stream and the river is flooding, it just spills over the banks and floods.”

Hart said she did not have an estimate of total damage to businesses in Gardiner, noting that each business will file for damages with state and federal officials.

Melissa Lindley, Gardiner’s economic development director, said each business could have sustained $200,000 or more in damages, particularly for those who lost heating systems that were in the basement.

Bintliff’s is the last of the downtown businesses to reopen, she said.

The specialty coffee shop that serves brunch all day let customers know on Facebook that they will be back to normal hours on Tuesday.

“As many of you know, it’s been several long weeks without Bintliff’s Corner Brew,” the post stated. “Thank you Gardiner for being patient with us, thank you for your donations, and most importantly thank you for your kind words and endless support while we dealt with the mess the Kennebec River left us. We are eager to see all of your faces again, fill you empty stomachs, and slightly over-caffeinate you.”

In addition to tapping into federal funds, state lawmakers are considering bills to make funds available to help with storm damage. Mills has put forward a $50 million bill to help cities and towns fix damaged roads and other infrastructure and to rebuild with an eye toward being prepared for the next major storm.

And Sen. Craig Hickman (D-Winthrop) is proposing to set aside $50 million for small businesses devastated by all three recent storms.

During a mid-February hearing on Hickman’s bill, Gardiner artist Alan Claude told lawmakers many downtowns need help.

“We all got five, six feet of water during the flood and it was a sucker punch,” said Claude, whose gallery is downtown. “What makes downtowns so special is these small businesses. Why people come to visit these downtowns is because of the food, the culture, the retail. It’s the experience of Maine. You have to preserve this. We’re bleeding. All these businesses are bleeding.”