Easy Lift Transportation recently moved its headquarters because of significant damage from the January flooding.

Easy Lift was at its previous location, 53 Cass Place in Goleta, for more than 20 years, but because of the damage and past flood issues, the Santa Barbara Airport — from which Easy Lift rents its offices — asked it to find a new location, Easy Lift spokeswoman Melinda Johansson said.

“It’s flooded before,” Johansson said. “Most of the time, sandbags were able to prevent [the water] from coming in, but this last one was the worst.”

The company’s new location, to which it moved on Feb. 14, is less than a quarter-mile away at 1522 Cook Place, Building 333, where Easy Lift continues to rent from the Santa Barbara Airport with a new rental agreement.

Angi Daus with the Santa Barbara Airport said the building sustained significant damage from the January storms and the past floods, because of its location in a flood zone, contributed to the decision to move Easy Lift’s headquarters.

“It’s looking like we will most likely need to demolish that building,” Daus said.

She added that other buildings in the area were able to withhold flooding with sandbags, as well as with a bladder dam. Because the bladder dam worked so well, Daus said the airport’s operations and facility teams are looking into purchasing more for future storms.

Daus told Noozhawk that the airport wanted to ensure a solution so that Easy Lift could stay in the area.

“They’re in a great new space,” Daus said. “We just think [Easy Lift] is a great community member.”

Johansson said the estimated cost of Easy Lift’s move and to replace damaged furniture and equipment was approximately $37,000, and that the move will not affect any of Easy Lift’s operations.

“We were able to continue providing lifesaving accessible transportation services during the flood through emergency evacuations as well as regular passenger access to medical care and grocery stores,” Easy Lift Executive Director Ernesto Paredes said in a news release. “Continuing to provide our services during our move will be easy compared to that. … [Easy Lift] will be better equipped to take on any and all new transit challenges going forward.”