The Hidden Cost of Rebuilding After a Flood

The Combses then took over those payments for a few years until the expense — more than $500 a month, Ms. Combs said — became unaffordable. So when faced with flood damage again, they understood they would not receive assistance from the agency or insurance. Ms. Combs did apply for a loan from the Small Business Administration but was denied because of her credit score, she said. Without government aid, the family has relied on organizations like the American Red Cross and community support to make ends meet. A church group helped clean out the house, including throwing out the refrigerator, stocked with spoiled food. Aspire Appalachia, an eastern Kentucky nonprofit, installed new drywall and bought some of the major fixtures the Combses needed to replace, including a toilet, a washing machine and a dryer.

Family and friends have also pitched in, covering the price of the hotel stay, buying items from an Amazon wish list and paying for the teenagers’ back-to-school needs. Critically, the Combses have been able to stay at a relative’s property for free while their house is repaired.

They have been blessed, as Ms. Combs sees it. And yet, on a Friday evening in March, nearly eight months after the flood, she found herself feeling overwhelmed as she reviewed receipts. The family is still paying for water and electrical services despite not living in the damaged home. The downstairs ceiling is unfinished, and they still need a new heating system.

Ms. Combs estimated that they had spent a few thousand dollars to get back home. Adding the past flooding expenses brings the total above $10,000.

She hopes to move back into the house before her birthday on April 30, and expects to spend more on replacing missing household items. Priceless keepsakes from Ms. Combs’s mother, who died after contracting Covid-19 the same month as the 2021 flood, remain lost.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/22/business/flood-damage-home-costs.html