In July, it will be two years since Julie Reis of Stow finished chemotherapy treatments for ovarian cancer. Recently, her husband, Clint Reis, saw his work hours cut in his job as a controls engineer.
And then during a violent rainstorm on May 12, their home's basement walls and foundation collapsed. The losses are estimated at $50,000 for structural and $20,000 for contents and are not covered by insurance.
"It's just been one thing after another," said Julie, 35.
Their story, unfortunately, is not unique, as many residents in our area are facing the same problems.
Even taking out a separate flood insurance policy does not guarantee that cleanup and restoration repairs will be paid for in the event of a catastrophe. Experts note that flood insurance covers many, but not all, types of losses.
The Ohio Insurance Institute recommends a careful review of policies to avoid discovering too late that damage is not covered. The institute represents property and casualty insurance companies in the state.
"It's so critical that you have to ask your insurance professional, 'What's not covered in this policy?' " spokesman Mitch Wilson said.
On that Monday night, hundreds of Northeast Ohioans spent the evening in their basements with their families, waiting out the storm that dumped at least 4 inches of rain in some areas in an hour. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, those figures translated to an event that could be expected to happen only once in 100 to 200 years.
The Reis' two children, 6-year-old Alison and 3-year-old Logan, were at Julie's parents' home because Julie's car was being repaired.
When Julie got a mobile phone alert advising people to find shelter, she went upstairs to wake Clint, 38. He wanted to keep sleeping, so Julie headed to the basement.
When she thought she heard sounds of water in the unfinished basement, she walked over to look at a wall. "I could hear a 'crrr' and popping. I thought the wallboards were coming away from the side. I started to run," she remembered.
"By the time I ran up the stairs, it was the most horrific sound," Julie said, describing the sound of walls caving in. Within seconds, water rushed into the basement and reached the top of the basement steps, about 13 steps high. She saw shoes and other items bobbing in the water.
Clint heard his wife's screaming and ran downstairs.
"I thought someone was killing her," he said.
Julie shudders to think what the situation might have been if the children were at home. "I couldn't have gotten my kids out fast enough," she said.
In the end, no one was hurt — and Julie and Clint even got two dogs and pet fish out of the house. But the storm left a crumbled foundation and basement walls. Family pictures show gaping holes to the outside where the walls once stood.
Family and friends helped with the big cleanup job.
But Clint Reis discovered the insurance issue quickly. One contractor declined to work on the house, saying it was because there was no insurance coverage.
Separate coverage
Such losses are not covered under traditional homeowners' insurance, said Wilson. Water damage to automobiles is insured if the consumer has comprehensive or coverage "other than collision."
Some people have also discovered another troublesome issue — dealing with water from a sewer backup. These can occur frequently in cases of flooding.
Wilson said those damages are typically not covered, but he noted there can be variations depending on the insurer.
Homeowners can purchase separate flood insurance, administered by the federal government, through insurance agents. A common misunderstanding about flood insurance is that you have to live in a flood plain to purchase flood insurance. That's not true. As long as your community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, any home is eligible. Homes, according to maps, where there is a higher probability of flooding will carry higher premiums.
There are only a handful of communities in our area that do not participate in the program, and those consumers cannot get flood insurance. They are the village of Westfield Center in Medina County, the village of Windham in Portage, Limaville in Stark and Dalton, Doylestown and Shreve in Wayne County.
Recent figures show the average flood insurance premium for Ohio is $864 a year, compared to $650 nationally. When I ran a check on my home, considered a low-to-moderate risk, the calculation was $460 per year.
The average traditional homeowners' insurance premium in Ohio is $644 a year, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Insurance recommended
David Schein, regional flood insurance liaison for region 5 of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Chicago, recommends that everyone get flood insurance, even those not in a flood plain.
There is a 26 percent chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage, compared to a 9 percent chance of fire for buildings in high-risk flood areas, said Schein. Between 25 to 30 percent of flood insurance claims are paid outside the area mapped to expect flooding, he said.
Flood coverage consists of two parts: structural — which includes walls, floors, foundations and utilities — and contents.
A foundation or basement wall collapse could be excluded from coverage if caused by something other than a flood, such as shifting of the ground, said Schein.
Contents coverage does not include anything in a basement, except a washer, dryer, food freezer and air conditioning unit.
If you have a finished basement or "man cave" with fancy electronics, carpet and furniture, it is not covered. Schein said the government changed the rules around 1986 to exclude items in basements to keep the program affordable. If you have to walk upstairs to get out, it is considered a basement.
Families such as the Reises are waiting as city and county officials try to obtain aid from the state and federal government. Stow Mayor Sara Drew said residents should make a report with government authorities, who can pool all the information they receive.
The Reises are nervous. Their house is uninhabitable. They have moved everything they could save into storage and are living with Julie's parents. They owe $100,000 on a 1958 home that they've lived in for 11 years.
"The enormity of it is too much to think about," said Julie.
The Reises are thankful for help from friends, family and strangers, too. An Internet fundraising page helped raise $13,000 of a $20,000 goal. The site is: www.youcaring.com/help-a-neighbor/help-fix-the-reis-house/179281.
Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/blinfisher and see all her stories at www.ohio.com/betty
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