• FLOODS of '08 VIDEO
The cold is here, and there are still hundreds of flood homes sitting abandoned and not ready to withstand these frigid temps. Many homes are not boarded up at all.
"You've got rodents. It's just all kinds of things. It's going to snow and it's going to blow in there. It's going to melt and it's going to freeze. It's just going to cause a lot more structural damage," says Matt Kula a flood victim and contractor.
Kula says if winterization techniques are not done soon the city of Cedar Rapids could have a much bigger problem than ever expected: foundations could crumble due to the freezing and thawing.
In the summer and even into fall many asked contractors what it is they needed to do to protect their already damaged homes from the cold. The answer, not only board up the homes but get some electricity to them in order to generate some heat.
Most of the flood homes in the Time Check and Czech Village neighborhoods do not have heat. The cost to do hook up electricity according to code is around a thousand dollars. The cost, not the price many who have close to nothing can afford to spend when they are still hoping for a buyout.
"They're not going to winterize. They're just going to let it set and what will happen will happen and when spring comes they'll deal with whatever they've got," says Kula.
Many flood victims say the site in their neighborhoods was depressing during the flood and say they think it's even worse now because so much time has gone by and yet the homes look exactly as they did once the water went down. Though many predict the worse has yet to come.
Contractors say it is not too late to winterize your home. If you want to save some cash you can do the job yourself. On December 18 at 8 AM the Linn Area Long Term Recovery Coalition will be holding a how-to winterize your home workshop. Here you can learn how to seal water lines, sanitary lines, roofs, walls, foundations and basement drainage. You must RSVP by calling Shari Martinez at (319) 261-0987 or by e-mailing ciintern@uweci.org.
Winterizing Flood Homes
