Continued...
The city has not cleaned out the debris on our side of the fence nor made any contact to make arrangements to repair the fence, or inquired about any other damages done to the house as of April 26th.
Legal Note: Mr. Burdette was elected city council member in May of 2005, after the shopping center was built, so he was not the councilman to approve and sign off on the third party inspection that was done of the drainage system set up for the new shopping center. Normally the city inspector (?) would have approved the drainage system but a third party company was outsourced to do the inspection. I am still investigating who was in office when the shopping center was approved, who the third party company was that did the inspection, and who owns the property where the shopping center was built. I will update again when I have had a chance to contact city Planning Department and Code Compliance and TPW (Transportation and Public Works, responsible for city storm water).
Water flowing out the front door of the house the night of the storm.
:: 04.19.08 ::
Even with these photo's it is hard to get an idea of the scale and the amount of ice and debris left over after the storm.
Looking Southwest from shopping center parking lot towards back of house.
The drainage pipe here is approx. 3 ft across (?) it goes through a small hill
and out the other side where there is a ditch that leads to the sewer.
Looking southwest from top of hill to the backside of where the drain pipe empties into the ditch leading to the sewer behind my mom's fence.
I know it looks like rocks...and there are a few rocks on the left of this photo near the wood fence, but everything else are large ice blocks of hail from the storm.
Close up of the ice and debris of trash, leaves and sticks that were forced up against the back fence. This is about 2 1/2 - 3 feet tall next to fence,
but there is a drop off that goes down into the ditch so the total height of the debris shelf back here is over 5 feet.
Another view of the debris against the fence and ice patches around the back yard.
Water scattered and damaged plants and pots, bricks etc. around the yard and bent the fence.
This is another view of the debris line against the back fence. This is packed full, like a large ice brick.
The fence poles have all been ripped apart and bent. The gate has been twisted into the fence and it will have to be cut apart to dislodge it.
Close-up of ice shelf.
Other damaged areas from the force of the water...the fence post that was sunk in cement was pulled out of the ground.
Damage at mom's
house from the storm on April 17th
2008 around 10pm.
All the hail and debris
from the new shopping center parking lot on the hill behind my mother's
house
washed across the field, over the hill and through the drainage pipe,
into the
drainage ditch that leads to the city sewer behind her fence. The city
had failed
to keep the area clear of debris (she had also called them on more than
one
occasion to come clean it up). The clogged storm drain and sewer caused
the
water to back up and it washed up into her yard and flooded her house
with
ankle deep water and mud. The force of the water and ice bent the metal
fence,
toppling the poles anchored in concrete. Even at 5pm the next day
there was still a 3 to 5
foot shelf of ice behind the fence and large patches in the yard and
near the
drainage ditch. There is a 5 foot shelf of ice and debris mixed
together
and lodged up against her back fence that leads down into the
drainage
ditch. The sewer is completely covered in debris and can not be
seen.
1. All
carpet and tile from the floors is being ripped up in the
house and
will have to be replaced.
2. Sheet-Rock on the walls is soaked and will have to be cut out and
replaced up to about 3 ft high; then the walls will have to be
re-plastered and painted in most rooms of the house.
3. Wood wall trim, quarter round, will have to be removed and replaced
due to warping and to replace carpet.
4. Many items that were sitting on the floor in closets and a
computer
sitting on the floor under a desk have water damage.
5. There is mud on everything, all furniture etc, is having to be
cleaned of mud.
6. The
dryer vent
was full of mud and had to be replaced.
7. It is still too
early to tell if there is further
damage to
furniture or if there will be warping to cabinets or doors etc.
The fire
department
was called the night of the storm and can verify water levels in
the
house. City officials were out on Thursday night and Friday the 18th to
survey
damage and access cleanup. Mayor's office was notified as it will be
the city's
responsibility to make all repairs and compensation for damages for
failing to
keep the drainage sewer clear of debris; and because the old drainage
system in
place was never replaced and made large enough to accommodate the new
shopping
center. Inspection and authorization of new land development
should not
have been allowed without accommodating a new sewer line for extra
drainage. We
are making preparations to acquire legal council should the city fail
to
compensate us for all repairs and cleanup.
Mom's
personal house insurance does not cover flood. We have never had
a flood
in the yard before now, especially not in the house (we have
occupied the
house for over 30 years)...this is not typically considered a
flood area.
