Help my mom afford home repairs after a flood.
Hey there,
My name is Nathan Brandt and my mom is one of the people that were affected by the failure and collapse of the Edenville dam in Michigan. This crowdfunding effort is for the replacement of items that were lost and the repair of her lower level which endured 4 feet of flooding.
On the left is a good photo of what the deck out back looked like prior to the flooding. in the right is what's left of the deck now. all of the steps and lower deck were completely washed away as well as the dock and boat hoist.
inside, 4 feet of drywall needed to be removed and all carpets taken out due to flooding and inches of mud left after the water levels returned to normal.
Beds, couches, furniture, water heater, furnace, washer and dryer all needed to be thrown out. The sink and toilet needed to be tossed as well.
Insurance has informed mom that they will cover none of the damage since she didn’t have flood insurance. However, when buying this house, she was told she couldn’t buy flood insurance in the first place because she didn’t live in a floodplain. A claim is still likely to be filed since a flood isn’t what caused the damage, the long-neglected and poorly maintained dam failing is what’s to blame.
At any rate, things are still being assessed for exact costs and insurance is still being dealt with so choosing a concrete goal for this was tough. I’ll do my best estimating costs. Regardless, these are mostly things that need to be done now so mom can return to any semblance of a normal life. I’ve sorted things by necessity. If we happen to not need a portion of the money donated, we will be forwarding that money to either COVID 19 relief or a charity benefiting those that lost their homes in the wake of the dam’s failure. Should that situation arise, I'll update you.
Here’s what was lost or needs to be fixed and rough estimates of costs.
Washer: $450
Dryer: $450
Water heater: $900
Furnace: $1000
Basement restoration: $3000
Deck: $7000+
Fridge: $400
2 queen beds: $1800
2 Dressers: $400
Side tables: $200
Couch: $400
Dock: $2000
Boat hoist: $5000
Total:
$23000
Again, these things are listed in order of their importance. If mom can't get a new dock or boat hoist for a while, that's far from a big deal but she needs those appliances and deck sorted in the near future.
Any donation is welcome no matter the size. We’re thankful that we have such generous friends and family that can help. If you’re unable to donate, we absolutely understand. This is a historically bad time for many people and we don’t want to take money from you if it means that you and your loved ones have to suffer.
Please share this page around and get in touch with us if you live in MidMichigan and have the means to donate any of the items or services listed above.

This house means everything to my mom. If you have the means, please help her get it back to normal.
Thanks so much and if you have any questions or items to donate, please email me at [email redacted]

-Nathan Norman Brandt
My name is Nathan Brandt and my mom is one of the people that were affected by the failure and collapse of the Edenville dam in Michigan. This crowdfunding effort is for the replacement of items that were lost and the repair of her lower level which endured 4 feet of flooding.
On the left is a good photo of what the deck out back looked like prior to the flooding. in the right is what's left of the deck now. all of the steps and lower deck were completely washed away as well as the dock and boat hoist.
inside, 4 feet of drywall needed to be removed and all carpets taken out due to flooding and inches of mud left after the water levels returned to normal.
Beds, couches, furniture, water heater, furnace, washer and dryer all needed to be thrown out. The sink and toilet needed to be tossed as well.Insurance has informed mom that they will cover none of the damage since she didn’t have flood insurance. However, when buying this house, she was told she couldn’t buy flood insurance in the first place because she didn’t live in a floodplain. A claim is still likely to be filed since a flood isn’t what caused the damage, the long-neglected and poorly maintained dam failing is what’s to blame.
At any rate, things are still being assessed for exact costs and insurance is still being dealt with so choosing a concrete goal for this was tough. I’ll do my best estimating costs. Regardless, these are mostly things that need to be done now so mom can return to any semblance of a normal life. I’ve sorted things by necessity. If we happen to not need a portion of the money donated, we will be forwarding that money to either COVID 19 relief or a charity benefiting those that lost their homes in the wake of the dam’s failure. Should that situation arise, I'll update you.
Here’s what was lost or needs to be fixed and rough estimates of costs.
Washer: $450
Dryer: $450
Water heater: $900
Furnace: $1000
Basement restoration: $3000
Deck: $7000+
Fridge: $400
2 queen beds: $1800
2 Dressers: $400
Side tables: $200
Couch: $400
Dock: $2000
Boat hoist: $5000
Total:
$23000
Again, these things are listed in order of their importance. If mom can't get a new dock or boat hoist for a while, that's far from a big deal but she needs those appliances and deck sorted in the near future.
Any donation is welcome no matter the size. We’re thankful that we have such generous friends and family that can help. If you’re unable to donate, we absolutely understand. This is a historically bad time for many people and we don’t want to take money from you if it means that you and your loved ones have to suffer.
Please share this page around and get in touch with us if you live in MidMichigan and have the means to donate any of the items or services listed above.

This house means everything to my mom. If you have the means, please help her get it back to normal.
Thanks so much and if you have any questions or items to donate, please email me at [email redacted]

-Nathan Norman Brandt
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