The April 2 floods in the Cincinnati area are already a memory for most people, unless you were one of the families affected.
Now, many of them say their nightmare is a long way from being over.
Brianna Delmoral is among them. She is trying to come to terms with what happened at her rental home in Columbia-Tusculum.
"It's been exhausting, draining, devastating," she said.
Floodwaters came up three feet into her first floor, soaking carpeting, drywall and almost all her belongings.
"It ruined my bed, my mattress, I lost my nightstand, my chair, my books, and most of my clothes," she said.
Her landlord, Jim Hudson, says it's going to be a long road to recovery.
"We have dryers everywhere," he said, walking through the now vacant first floor, where carpeting and drywall have now been ripped out. "The fans are trying to dry out the moisture."
But it will be a while before the AC is back on, as the outdoor central air unit was flipped on its side and destroyed by the rushing water.
Who will pay for the cleanup and rebuilding?
Typically, anything that's submerged in flood waters has to be thrown out, costing tens of thousands of dollars.
And most of it will not be covered by insurance, as typical homeowner and renter policies do not include food coverage, with the exception of flooding from a burst pipe or toilet overflow.
"I don't think I'm getting any help," Delmoral said, after learning her renter's policy excludes rain water flooding.
So Hudson has gone to Cincinnati's Metropolitan Sewer District for help, as he believes it was a public storm drain that backed up, which he says is exactly what happened back in 2017.
"I actually dropped in and talked to a couple of people at MSD the other day," he said.
But he was unable to get any answers. So we contacted MSD, where a spokeswoman told us "MSD is still investigating, and is reviewing reports from individual properties. If it’s determined the property experienced a sewer backup caused by the MSD public sewer, it will be eligible for cleaning and damage claims." (Full MSD statement below)
So what you do to prevent a situation like this?
- If you are in a low spot, especially one that has flooded before, look into purchasing Federal flood insurance.
- For many homeowners, however, that is too expensive (averaging $900 a year).
- Instead, ask your insurance company about drain backup coverage. It can cost as little as $50 a year.
Delmoral and Hudson say with no flood insurance, their homeowners and renters policies are only covering incidentals.
Drain backup insurance for basement drains may not have helped these Columbia-Tusculum residents, as it appears most of the water came in from the alley outside.
But drain coverage is something every homeowner should consider, as it is just a few dollars a month, and that way you don't waste your money.
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FULL STATEMENT FROM CINCINNATI METROPOLITAN SEWER DISTRICT
"MSD has been active in this area addressing sewer backups emanating from the MSD-owned public sewer. These backups enter homes from the public sewer line through lower-level floor drains or plumbing fixtures.
Unfortunately, this low-lying area is also subject to overland flooding, which is outside of the scope of MSD’s Sewer Backup (SBU) program. Intense rainfall like that which occurred April 2, coupled with the topography of the area, can overwhelm storm inlets (catch basins) and even bypass them, resulting in flooding of homes that are at or below street level.
MSD is still investigating what occurred in this area and is reviewing reports from individual properties. If it’s determined the property experienced a sewer backup caused by the MSD public sewer, it will be eligible for cleaning and damage claims and will be evaluated for inclusion in our SBU prevention program, which provides a backup prevention device.
Several properties in this area have previously received a backup prevention device through MSD’s SBU program.
Properties that experienced overland flooding are not eligible for MSD’s SBU program.
MSD is working closely with the City of Cincinnati’s Stormwater Management Utility (SMU), which is responsible for catch basins and storm sewers in the City of Cincinnati, to understand the issues specific to flood-prone areas. A solution to the overland flooding issues is part of a more holistic approach which is beyond the scope of MSD’s SBU program."
Deb Leonard
Communications Manager
Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati
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