We don’t know the extent of the damage just yet, but last night, September 1st 2021, as the rainfall worsened, we noticed some leakage in the bedroom, from the ceiling.
…and then in the living room, from where the light fixture was connected to the ceiling there. However the drainage from our flat fucking roof was set up, water started accumulating in the walls and ceiling of the lower level.
And more, and more. The leak in the living room was the fastest and most aggressive, filling up our largest containers fast enough that we had to regularly empty them out, but we started seeing leaks on all three levels—ground floor, upstairs, and basement. The bedroom, upstairs hallway, windows in the two smaller rooms upstairs, from the basement ceiling, the kitchen… pretty much everywhere except the front entryway and laundry room. Who knows, maybe there, too, by now. When we weren’t in the middle of panic attacks, we were rushing around the house trying to find solutions.
We moved into this place last October. It was our dream, the wonder that three disabled queer Jews were able to pool our resources and get not just an apartment but a house.
We had to evacuate. By the time i was ready to go, there were spots where water was pooled deep enough to cover my smaller toes. We were able to secure our most important documents, some prized possessions like stuffed animals and books secured in dry locations or taken with us. We piled into my car with a friend who came over to help, and the cat, and dropped off that friend with our cat while we went to a motel. I’m typing this from that motel, trying to not move too much because of the cold i’ve come down with from being damp for hours.
We are not sure yet what this is going to cost us. Like many people affected by this weather emergency, we were not in any area historically affected by such rainfall; insurance and other services in the area are burdened with an unexpected number of people in immediate need of services. We know for sure that the roof is going to need to be completely redone, and probably nearly all if not all of the walls, ceilings… we don’t know yet the extent of damage to over thirty years of possessions that each of us thought were safe. Of the damage to things that can’t be replaced; old drawings, notebooks, art made by friends, et cetera.
I will post updates as I am able, reblogged on this post. I know that others have been faced with far worse losses, and we have our networks of friends and family who can offer some support, but we’re still going to need help.
Once we’ve got a more definite dollar amount in terms of the extent of damage, we’ll probably put up a GoFundMe or something like that.
For now, if you can help in any way, please feel free to send to http://paypal.me/ayellowbirds or https://ko-fi.com/ayellowbirds
blakekathryn
kaledo-art
origamiaround
germansingergirl
