Please help Chy and Houa recover from the flood
** An update as of 08/16/21 **
Today we have been informed by the City of Onalaska, WI that they "Intend to raze" our family home. Meaning, the city intends to demolish our home if we cannot provide them with a plan that "meets their standards" within 30 days. If the city follows through with this, our family will have to pay a $15,000 fee. This decision is something that has been forced upon us without a conversation to find a mutual agreement. We feel that the city does not empathize with our family over the loss of our home. The official documents were sent to us only days after the condemnation of our home.
We have been challenged with several road blocks, and we are running out of resources to turn to. However, the one thing that has remains constant, is that we have the support of family, friends, and our community. We can not thank you enough for all your generosity that you all have shown us this past week. Our family intends to stay united and resilient as we traverse this seemingly never ending process of paperwork, politics, and unease. Our hope is that our family's united strength, along with the love and kindness that you all have shown us, will help guide us to an outcome that is in our favor.
Our local news channel 8 also interviewed my parents today. They were able to share their thoughts, personal story, and message to the media. Follow the link below to see the interview.
https://www.news8000.com/past-flood-damage-renders-onalaska-home-uninhabitable/
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Hello everyone,
My name is Makoto Hang and I am the youngest son writing on behalf of my siblings Jackie Hang, Judy Hang-Kue, and Husky Hang asking for support through this stressful and challenging time. Our parents, Chy Hang and Houa Xiong have lived at 1104 Well Street in Onalaska, WI for 21 years. This was their first home they purchased and were so proud to finally be home owners. However, in 2010 our parents experienced their first episode of a major flood that destroyed the basement leaving it as a bare, open space. Still, they continue to make the best of what was left over.
On Saturday August 7th, 2021 our family home was struck again from a massive rainfall which flooded the area surrounding their home due to a faulty drainage system in the city streets. This caused the entire basement to be submerged with murky, dirty, and contaminated water. Two separate areas of the home have completely caved in due to the pressure of the water and flood. This influx of water also destroyed the cement sidewalk alongside the home, the bricks creating the window wells, and the concrete that was the structural foundation of the home. All of these broken pieces now sit at the bottom of our basement covered in mud and debris. Inside the home, the stairwell that leads to the basement collapsed due to the flood reaching the main floor of the home. They are not able to enter the basement to assess the severity of the damage nor can they recover any personal belongings down there. We estimate that there is nearly 50% structural damage to the foundation. The home is currently standing on 3, maybe 4 pillars and each day we are more concerned that more of the home will collapse under pressure.
As of now, we are in the midst of cleaning our parents’ home. Three of us children live in Minnesota. We have taken turns travelling down to Wisconsin to help our parents while balancing our everyday lives, family and jobs. We are working tirelessly to pack their personal belongings and try to recover what we can. We’ve lost personal sentimental belongings along with other major items such as appliances, lawn mowers, and etc. Given the condition of our parents home , it is now currently deemed “uninhabitable” by the city of Onalaska. We are only allowed access during the day to finish gathering our family belongings. We are afraid to admit it, but we are finally accepting the idea that our family home will no longer be here much longer.
Currently, we have very little support from the city nor do we have the insurance company offering any financial relief at this time. Our insurance company does not offer flood insurance because we are not deemed a “flood zone” by the city, therefore we can’t get this coverage added. They’ve sent an adjuster to assess the damage and it was deemed that the damages are not covered underneath their policy. Unlike other major cities, Onalaska does not offer disaster relief funding for any of their residents. Although, unable to live in their home, with no financial relief from the city or home owner’s insurance they are still responsible to pay off the remainder of their mortgage, pay their property taxes and try to figure out where to live in the meantime. Our father is the sole primary financial provider for our parents and our mother is the primary caregiver to our older brother who is a disabled dependent adult. At this time, our father is unable to work given the emergent situation. They have asked Social Workers to help provide a temporary home and someone to take care of our older brother while they try to figure out their living situation. Consequently, our parents will experience homelessness in the near future.
Therefore, we are asking for any help and support that you are able to offer. Our parents created a home for us, their children and for their grandchildren to visit, and now this place has been stripped from them due to unforeseen reasons that are not in our control. Our goal is to help our parents get back on their feet, cover any expenses that may arise, and to create some type of financial safety net given this unclear situation. We appreciate you visiting and reading through our post even if you are unable to make a donation. Thank you for your time.
