BROCKTON, Mass. — A month after severe flooding inundated homes in Brockton, some families say they are still living without heat and hot water as they deal with extensive damage and unresolved flood insurance claims.
Melissa Rodriguez showed Boston 25 News damage throughout the basement of her Park Road home, including cracks in the foundation and what she believes could be mold growing on the walls.
“The biggest concern down here is right here. My foundation is bowing two inches, and we also developed another crack,” Rodriguez said.
She said the suspected mold has become another major concern.
“You can actually smell it from the outside of my house,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars at Lowe’s trying to get solutions to clean it.”
Rodriguez said her home flooded Sept. 27 when a nor’easter moved through the area. Water from a nearby creek rose around her property, leaving her home surrounded by water and sending about four feet of water into her basement.
“It looks really nice now, but it’s a force to reckon with when it rains,” Rodriguez said of the creek.
The flooding damaged boilers, leaving Rodriguez and some of her neighbors without heat and hot water weeks later.
“We’ve been boiling water, dumping it into the bath, adding some cold water and literally taking a cup and pouring it over us,” Rodriguez said.
Neighbor Diana, who has an 8-month-old baby and a 3-year-old daughter, said her family is also still without heat.
“Everything else can wait. I just need heat for the babies,” she said.
Diana says she’s worried about her children’s health.
“I actually kept her out of school the last two days because she kept getting fevers, coughing, runny nose. Little baby is too,” she said.
Both homeowners said they have flood insurance but are still trying to resolve their claims.
“I don’t know what the near future holds, and that’s what’s scaring me the most,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t have any answers.”
Diana said replacing her damaged boiler will cost between $17,000 and $20,000, and she said the amount her insurance would pay would not cover the full cost.
“We just don’t even have a fraction of that amount to even start,” she said. “The amount they would pay would not even cover the parts.”
Diana has Wright Flood Insurance, while Rodriguez said her claim is with Crawford.
Boston 25 News reached out to both companies about the homeowners’ claims and had not received a response at the time of the report.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW