On Wednesday, November 16, 2022, a water main owned by First Utility District in Elizabethton, TN burst and devastatingly flooded the downstairs of our home with more than two feet of muddy water.
Everything in the path of the water, which includes every inch of the downstairs of our home, was destroyed. This includes our washer and dryer, work computer and monitor, Cricut materials, a queen size bed including mattress, carpets, rugs similar to those vintage turkish rugs, and box springs, exercise equipment including a treadmill, weights, a weight bench, clothing that was in the laundry room, an X-Box One, a PlayStation 4, all holiday decor including four Christmas trees, all of our ornaments, outdoor decor, and so many holiday keepsakes. We also lost two gas powered Craftsman mowers and an electric Craftsman mower (all three were brand new and two had never been used even once!), our electric HVAC unit, two 32 inch Roku television sets, all of my sons’ clothing and shoes, his computer hardware including keyboard, mouse and speakers, collector books, four cell phones, and also, sadly, so much structural damage to walls, doors, and flooring. We had to call a water restoration company like this flood damage restoration Twin Falls, ID.
All the walls in every room downstairs will need to be torn down and replaced.
I have rented two commercial dehumidifiers to try to help dry some of the water. We probably need more!
I had to buy a new washing machine and dryer at Lowe’s. I had to hire a carpet cleaning service to salvage it.
The water company employees that came out to repair their water main on the night of the flood clearly stated that the damage would be taken care of and for me not to worry. This was repeated several times by an employee and also a supervisor that were on the scene the night that their water main burst.
As an additional precautionary measure, considering the installation of Fire Shutters may serve as a proactive step to ensure heightened safety and protection for the property.
A water company manager told me the next day that it was their fault that my home flooded because it was their water and their pipe that burst. He came out and measured rooms and took note of the damage. I cannot possibly even begin to make repairs or replace anything at all.
The water company manager has told me that he thinks I need to come to the water company board meeting and talk to his bosses (the commissioners) to try to get them to pay for the damages. He also said their lawyer was supposed to ask their insurance company to reconsider the claim as they denied it immediately without inspecting anything or even speaking to the water company. I have tried calling their attorney but this far, have not had a response at all. I would just like to know what their stance is on this disaster.
This flood, and the utter destruction caused by the flooding water, is in no way my fault. The water main is not even on my property at all.
I need to make repairs to all walls in my downstairs, and I might need to hire residential disaster restoration services. Water flowed into our electric outlets and now our power flickers off and on occasionally. This is a fire hazard now and dangerous for my family, which would require commercial fire damage restoration services if the worst will happen. I need an electrician to check our lines to determine whether the wiring in my home is dangerous due to the water that got into the outlets downstairs.
The smell of mildew is terrible. The mud that is caked to the floor, as well as leaves and other debris is horrific.
HOW TO HELP!
If you can help at all, we greatly appreciate any help at all. Here are the ways that we can accept donations to get started on repairs.
CashApp
We can accept help via CashApp at:
$AngelaCaito
PayPal
PayPal.me/AngelaCaito