November 18, 2020

Good afternoon,

We reside at 3875 Bliss Rd, Windsor ON. , and we’ve been here in this house since March 30, 2014. In this time our basement has flooded twice, through no fault of our own. THAT, is entirely the fault of the City of Windsor and it’s archaic infrastructure.

Flood #1 August 2017.

We get a call from our neighbour that our basement has 6 inches of water in it, due to the torrential rainfall. The rain is up over the ditches and on the road. We stand on our front step surveying the neighbourhood. We watch idiots rooster tailing through the flooded street.

Entering the house we look down the stairs to our basement. And what do we see? Six inches of water and one of my winter boots floating by. As we wade into the water and we see the massive loss and damage this has caused, I can’t even bring myself to cry. My husband rushes off to Canadian Tire to purchase another pump so we can get the water out of the house as I call our insurance adjuster to get the ball rolling. The adjuster arrives later that night for a summary inspection. They will return once the basement has been pumped out completely. Once pumped out we have friends come over to help us take ruined goods from our basement. Do you have any idea how long it takes to catalogue the loses? Things I/we CANNOT replace. Things that belonged to my deceased parents. Unless you have been through a flood, then YOU have no bloody idea what it is like mentally and physically. The ruined lifetime mementoes. The ruined furniture. The ruined photos. The ruined carpets and clothes and Christmas items, the ruined floors and wall and the freezer, washer/dryer, furnace….hot water heater. Then there is the stress of having to go out to purchase replacement appliances and whatever else you lost…if it can be replaced at all. Some things are beyond saving and can NEVER be replaced.

My husband called the city to see if any assistance was available and you know what the ‘Karen’ on the phone had the nerve to say? She said we aren’t flooded as we aren’t in the flood zone. Well I have news for you. I have the photos of our basement. And I have photos of the neighbourhood with ruined possessions on front lawns.

Do you know what it’s like the ‘smell’ a flood leaves behind? It permeates your entire house. Open the doors and windows. It doesn’t matter. It still stinks. It takes weeks for everything to dry enough to get rid of the stench. Anything that was salvaged is now spread out all over house. It looks like you’ve been invaded hoarders. It stays that way until the repairs are done and that can takes months. Not weeks but months. Why so long you ask? Because 6,000+ homes in Windsor were flooded. What the hell is wrong with that picture? Seriously? Renovation companies are stretched to the breaking point. It is an absolutely insane way to have to live for months. Then once the renovations have been done you need to get in the duct cleaners because of the dust. Then you have to go through your house and put back all the things that are spread out through your home. You must clean everything, and I mean EVERYTHING you own. Walls have to be washed down, couches, beds every single thing that dust has settled on, which is every damned thing in the house. Clothes have to be washed, all bedding has to be washed – to get the dust and flood stink out. That takes time, and when you work that’s even worse.

Thankfully we have flood insurance and everything is covered to the tune of almost $30,000.00.