Michele Jackson's Home Unlivable Due to City's Sewage

My name is Jerry Jackson and my sister, Michele Jackson, has been through a horrifying experience.

During the recent big storms that hit the Midwest, the public sewer system was overwhelmed and flooded my sister's house with sewage! She can no longer occupy her home because sewer water poured into it unrestrained, and it is no longer habitable.

Michele’s life drastically changed at 1:00 AM Saturday morning, April 5, 2025, when her partner, Jason, woke her and said: “Babe, we have a bad problem!” He had gone into the kitchen to get a drink and heard water coming from elsewhere. He opened their basement door and saw two feet of water. At this time, he did not know yet that it was actually sewer water. Thinking maybe a water pipe had burst, he put on his boots and went down to shut off the water main.

While he was doing that, Michele went toward the back of the house, and this is when she saw the sewer water literally pouring upward and out of the shower floor drain as well as from the toilet. She yelled down to Jason in the basement: “It’s coming up from the toilet and shower drain!”

The sewer water was flowing throughout the rooms in the back of the house (see videos) and into the floor vents which filled the ducts in the basement. It was dripping down from those ducts directly upon the top of Jason’s head. The furnace, located in the basment, was also filled with two feet of sewer water.

When Jason got back upstairs, they frantically started making phone calls to reach the town’s water company and then local plumbers. No one could help them!

They finally called 911 and dispatch told them to evacuate!

About 20 minutes later, they heard the ducts which were full of water in the basement fall down. They packed a few clothes, their dog and cat, and went to their kids’ house across town.

After talking with a hazmat company, they informed Michele that she could go inside and remove important items out of the house. However, they warned it was imperative that anyone entering the flooded areas should wear protective gear (rubber boots, body coverups, face masks) and not allow any of the affected areas to touch their skin! Also, they informed her that the longer items remained inside the house, they could be destroyed with possible growth of mold from the dampness.

Michele’s home may not be salvageable. Through no fault of her own, this really is a devastating position to be in. We won’t know anything for certain until the destruction has been evaluated and a report provided.

Her homeowners insurance company told her they will not cover anything. It happened because the town’s substation near Michele’s property was full of rain water and backed up into her home, therefore it is the town’s responsibility.

The Town has been slow to respond. This adds too much to an already stressful situation. Michele realizes it will take time to investigate before decisions will be made. Of course, she hopes it will happen sooner than later.

Understanding that, Michele will still need to pay her Mortgage, Utilities, and any other property bills, there just is no extra money to pay for temporary housing needs. She already paid close to $400 for the protective gear they needed per hazmat, as well as other immediate necessities.

Michele and Jason were both skilled, hard workers throughout their younger years, but now both have serious health concerns. They live on very limited income from their Social Security Disability.

Their hope is that they will only need help for six months. The funds requested will help Michele and Jason with temporary housing for them and their pets while also replacing the lost or damaged personal necessities.

Your help will allow them to find a new normal and provide for unexpected expenses which can be alarming for anyone living

on a fixed income.

We will provide updates to keep you aware of where this unexpected journey takes them.

We appreciate your time and consideration. Thank you so much for your help.