Some are concerned about mold growing in their basements.

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Published: Friday, August 18, 2006

Owners lament flooded homes

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Some are concerned about mold growing in their basements.

By TIM YOVICH

OH

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

NILES — Belmont Avenue residents stayed close to home Thursday as

they stood by waiting for return calls from their insurance

adjusters.

" It's pretty bad when you have to wipe your feet going out of the

house, " Earnest Leasure said as he cleaned his shoes after looking

at his basement that had been flooded.

Basements in the neighborhood were flooded Wednesday night when a 20-

inch water line burst in the middle of Belmont.

The line is owned by the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District, which

supplies water to Niles and its customers.

The line was repaired by Thursday afternoon, but a boil alert was

issued by the Trumbull County Sanitary Engineer's Office for more

than 20 streets in Niles and Weathersfield Township until at least

Saturday.

Tom Holloway, MVSD director, said Thursday that two consecutive days

of tests must show no signs of bacteria in the water before the boil

order can be lifted.

Resident reactions

" What a mess, " Leasure said as he looked at the results of two feet

of water that rushed into the basement of his home at 512 Belmont.

Leasure recalled reclining on his living room couch after returning

home from a hospital, where his wife is being treated for cancer.

About 8:30 p.m., he was awaken by a neighbor who alerted him of the

break. He went downstairs to find the water soaking into his

couches, carpet and washer and dryer. Bins of clothes were soaked.

Now, Leasure is worried about mold growing in the warm, damp air.

Ben Hensley, 73, was watching television in his home when he noticed

a car going through water as it traveled down the street.

He checked his basement and " found it as dry as a bone. " He checked

about 20 minutes later and a foot of water had gushed in. When it

was done, he had 2 feet downstairs.

He and his 72-year-old wife, Betty, worked throughout the night to

clean up the mess the best they could.

Hensley is worried about his 3-year-old furnace, new washer and

dryer, refrigerator and freezer every working again.

Charlie Gibson, 72, is a neighbor of Leasure and Hensley.

" It kept coming in, " Gibson said of the water. " I tried to bail it

out. I almost had a heart attack. "

" Something like this will put you down, " Gibson said of the work

involved. His wife, couldn't help him because she has asthma.

Leonard Ulrich, 49, another neighbor on Belmont, said he used seven

pumps to suck the water out of his basement and still ended up with

a foot.

Without the pumps, Ulrich claims, 4 feet of water would have flowed

in.

Ulrich has the pumps because he's had water problems before. He

thought he was prepared to keep his basement dry.

As it turned out, one of Ulrich's pumps caught fire and spread to

some clothing. " I had plenty of water of put it out, " he quipped.

Ulrich's insurance adjuster had showed up and he was told the

basement would be cleaned and disinfected.

Holloway said the number of homes flooded or that lost pressure

because of the break was isolated quickly.

yovich@...

Friday, August 18, 2006

Some are concerned about mold growing in their basements.

By TIM YOVICH

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

NILES — Belmont Avenue residents stayed close to home Thursday as

they stood by waiting for return calls from their insurance

adjusters.

" It's pretty bad when you have to wipe your feet going out of the

house, " Earnest Leasure said as he cleaned his shoes after looking

at his basement that had been flooded.

Basements in the neighborhood were flooded Wednesday night when a 20-

inch water line burst in the middle of Belmont.

The line is owned by the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District, which

supplies water to Niles and its customers.

The line was repaired by Thursday afternoon, but a boil alert was

issued by the Trumbull County Sanitary Engineer's Office for more

than 20 streets in Niles and Weathersfield Township until at least

Saturday.

Tom Holloway, MVSD director, said Thursday that two consecutive days

of tests must show no signs of bacteria in the water before the boil

order can be lifted.

Resident reactions

" What a mess, " Leasure said as he looked at the results of two feet

of water that rushed into the basement of his home at 512 Belmont.

Leasure recalled reclining on his living room couch after returning

home from a hospital, where his wife is being treated for cancer.

About 8:30 p.m., he was awaken by a neighbor who alerted him of the

break. He went downstairs to find the water soaking into his

couches, carpet and washer and dryer. Bins of clothes were soaked.

Now, Leasure is worried about mold growing in the warm, damp air.

Ben Hensley, 73, was watching television in his home when he noticed

a car going through water as it traveled down the street.

He checked his basement and " found it as dry as a bone. " He checked

about 20 minutes later and a foot of water had gushed in. When it

was done, he had 2 feet downstairs.

He and his 72-year-old wife, Betty, worked throughout the night to

clean up the mess the best they could.

Hensley is worried about his 3-year-old furnace, new washer and

dryer, refrigerator and freezer every working again.

Charlie Gibson, 72, is a neighbor of Leasure and Hensley.

" It kept coming in, " Gibson said of the water. " I tried to bail it

out. I almost had a heart attack. "

" Something like this will put you down, " Gibson said of the work

involved. His wife, couldn't help him because she has asthma.

Leonard Ulrich, 49, another neighbor on Belmont, said he used seven

pumps to suck the water out of his basement and still ended up with

a foot.

Without the pumps, Ulrich claims, 4 feet of water would have flowed

in.

Ulrich has the pumps because he's had water problems before. He

thought he was prepared to keep his basement dry.

As it turned out, one of Ulrich's pumps caught fire and spread to

some clothing. " I had plenty of water of put it out, " he quipped.

Ulrich's insurance adjuster had showed up and he was told the

basement would be cleaned and disinfected.

Holloway said the number of homes flooded or that lost pressure

because of the break was isolated quickly.

yovich@...