Bucks County flood victims struggle to put their lives back together
BENSALEM, Pa. - A drone’s eye view of Monday’s Bucks County flood damage shows the extent of the devastation. A view of the Lafayette Gardens Condo complex shows how the residents are struggling to try and put their homes and lives back together.
"I cried. I’ve been doing nothing but crying ever since it happened. I’ll start again," commented flood victim Flossie McDonald.
When a flood rushes a neighborhood and a home, feet squash on the living room carpet like a sponge. Keith and Flossie McDonald are going through their home and they are distraught. Even seeing a favorite pair of pants flooded makes a person want to cry. It requires a ton of recovery work and no one knows where to begin.
"How do you even start?" asked FOX 29’s Hank Flynn.
"We have no clue. So, luckily, my husband knows an adjuster," Flossie answered.
The adjuster is Jim Rainer, who reads the verdict on moisture in the drywall.
"It’s reading 100 percent moisture. What that means is this thing has been sitting underwater for an extended period of time," Rainer explained.
10 inches of rain in four hours, according to the FOX 29 Weather Authority. Melissa Ochmanski saw the torrent of rain inundate her basement, causing her to feel paralyzed.
"You either cry or you don’t know where to start. I don’t. You can start writing a list of what’s down here, call the insurance company and hope that everything is going to be convered," Ochmanski said.
Christmas decorations, baby clothes, critical appliances like the boiler. The washer and dryer. All possibly finished. Those folks say they are insured. Others, covered or not, showed up at the Cornwells Fire Department Maltese Room in Bensalem, where the Red Cross is ready with cleaning kits, food, even money.
"They’ll assess the damage, take a look at the levels, take a look at the damage. Be able to determine if financial assistance is something that we can provide. Or, if it’s just a cleanup kit and a referral to carry on with your recovery process with other groups," James Sirio, with the American Red Cross, explained.
Anyone needing assistance, or if someone is in need of assistance, can reach out to the Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS. They are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The community resource center is located at the Cornwells Fire Department Maltese Room, 2049 Bristol Pike, in Bensalem.
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