Help Amelia & Jack Rebuild After Flood

Hello everyone. My name is Amelia and I live with my brother, Jack. On 4/23/2025, I came home to find our apartment flooded. The ceiling was bulging, water dripping down from the drooping paint, and carpets soaking wet. The walls were slick with water coming down the backsides as well. I rushed to call a plumber, but by the time they arrived, it was too late to save many of our belongings. While the water was coming down, I attempted to move what I could from my bedroom, but as mentioned before, little could be done. My bed and mattress are completely gone. Any paper items that I was not able to grab in time were destroyed, including books and pictures. I also had many electronics, including a TV and two video game consoles, which were under the dripping water for hours. Anything on the floor was soaked through. My closet was also affected, although some clothes I was able to save and attempt to wash. While waiting for insurances to discuss who would pay, many of my clothes have been left wet and have now started to grow mold and mildew. My brother’s bathroom and closet were also affected; mainly anything in his medicine cabinet (as well as mine) and on his closet floor were soaked through.

We found out the top unit in our building had a washing machine overflow for hours, not realizing the damage it was causing to the units below. For 5 hours, the water traveled through 2 other units until it reached the bottom, our place. Unfortunately, we do not have renter’s insurance. We were under the impression our landlord’s coverage included us, as my bathroom and bedroom had two incidents previously and there was never mention that our items wouldn’t be covered. So it came as a great shock when our landlord, as well as the property management and the top floor unit owner, have all denied responsibility and their insurances are refusing to assist or reimburse us for damages. Our landlords have not provided anywhere for us to live since the flooding incident, even though the apartment was deemed uninhabitable. They stated they need to terminate the lease and my brother and I need to vacate ASAP so they can start repairs. We have nowhere to go at this time. It’s been very difficult finding a new apartment with such short notice. I also don’t even have the basics to move with, as things like my bed were destroyed. There is a specialized pack-out company that has offered their services, which would include moving, properly storing, and cleaning our salvageable items. This also included taking inventory, so if we ever did get reimbursed, they would have an itemized receipt and proof of items destroyed/damaged. Unfortunately, they normally get paid by insurance companies, so their quote was as high as $5000. We are also looking into legal help at this time, but it may not be worth the amount we would get back after lawyer’s fees. So that is still up in the air. We have started looking for apartments, but many are out of our price range or not available to move into for another month. The ones that are available now have many application fees and high deposit fees.

Which brings us to the reason I’ve made this GoFundMe. I’ve realized we realistically cannot do this on our own, financially or mentally. I’m trying to swallow my pride and ask for the help which we desperately need right now. If you are able to donate, any funds we receive would go towards the replacement of basic items, which would include a new mattress, bedspreads, possibly clothing (if needed), and small furniture (bookshelves/shelves). Funds would also go towards moving and storage costs, fees and deposits for our new apartment, and legal costs if we are able to pursue something. I know times are tough for everyone right now, so if you cannot donate, maybe you could share our link to get the word out? Support can come in many forms and it’s all appreciated equally. Thank you to anyone who read this long story. I’m hopeful my brother and I can start again with something better soon.