In the early hours of the morning, my niece, whose room is in the basement, woke up and stepped in water. She immediately went upstairs and woke my brother and nephew. They got up to assess the damage and looked outside. Parked cars on the street had water going up to the roof. Then they suddenly heard loud bangs. One by one, each of their basement walls started to give way with large open holes visible from the outside. The basement flooded to the ceiling. They went outside to see what was going on. The entire street smelled like gas and hazardous fumes. Luckily, they are all got out safely along with their aging dog.

In the morning, the utility worker was able to shut off the gas. We were able to help them retrieve clothing and some belongings from the main floor. However, everything in the basement is gone -the furnace, water heater, washer, dryer, electronics, bedroom furniture, and all of my niece’s belongings. The house is uninhabitable.

Today my brother went back to see if it might be possible to retrieve anything else. Unfortunately he couldn’t enter the house. As water in the basement subsided over the last 24 hours, the structure of the house gave way more. The wall on the front of the house on the main floor has started to collapse.

They do not have a home to go back to. The house is likely not salvageable and the damage is not covered by insurance.

This home has been in my family for over 60 years as my dad’s childhood home. My brother doesn’t have much to begin with. He is a single father and he has raised two beautiful kids on his own. He works in a factory and has been able to make ends meet. This week, everything has changed. The cost to rent an apartment or house in today’s market seems completely out of reach.

He is at a loss of what to do, but he is slowly working things out and trying to climb out of this one day at a time.

i am helping them with basics while they figure out how to rebuild their lives and find a new place to live. Every little bit will help him get back in his feet

Id like to do whatever I can to help him get back on his feet and not have to worry as much about what each day will bring. Right now, I’m raising funds to help him with replace basic items he has lost and to get more permanent hosing. We’re not yet sure what the costs might be to tear the house down, condemn it, etc. We’ll share updates as we learn more.

Your donation will go far to help him get settled in a new place to live.