CADILLAC —Cadillac homeowners, impacted by the historic April flooding, are now getting some financial support from the federal government after months of uncertainty.
President Trump approved a major disaster declaration last week for counties that were impacted by the flood waters, which opened the door for homeowners to get some financial relief through the federal emergency management agency.
Zach Cowgill and his family of five has been going through financial turmoil since the April floods.
He said he has one of the worst damaged homes in Cadillac.
“Insurance didn’t pick up anything. They denied their claim. City of Cadillac denied their claim. The only thing that helped us was FEMA. Thank God for FEMA for helping out. Otherwise I would probably just be selling the property as is,” said Zach.
He said he got online to apply for assistance from FEMA as soon as he could.
“I hurried up and went online and made sure I filed their paperwork for FEMA. I think it was Saturday morning when it actually officially opened up to everybody in the area. And they were here by Tuesday,” said Zach.
He said FEMA worked fast to get him the dollars he so desperately needs right now. He said his house is so badly damaged it’s not livable.
“When that water came through the foundation, I hurried up, got the kids, and I ran out the house and we were gone within five minutes,” said Zach.
The flood waters damaged the foundation, the electrical, the H-VAC system, and the walls.
“We ended up gutting most of the house, losing everything that we had,” said Zach.
Zach is estimating the damages to be around $80,000. After FEMA’s visit, he was approved for $57,000 in federal relief.
“I was surprised they were throwing more than $1,000 because everybody else was denying. . So why wouldn’t they deny?,” asked Zach.
Zach filed claims with the city of Cadillac and with his insurance.
He said his insurance denied him because he lives near water, but he didn’t have flood insurance, living more than a mile away from the nearest water source.
“I don’t live on a little river. I don’t live on a lake. Why would I need flood insurance?, “ Zach inquired.
Zach and family did get additional help from the American Red Cross. They paid one month’s rent for the apartment where they are now living. Christian Aid Ministries spent 2 and a half days removing flood damaged items from his home.
His co-workers also pitched in.
“I ended up getting roughly over $900 to help out from Meijer’s. They did a fundraiser so and helped out a lot. I have a lot of coworkers there who actually care,” said Zach.
Zach is grateful for all the help but with the amount he’s getting from FEMA, he can finally breathe a little easier.
Zach is the sole breadwinner. His wife is unable to work because of health issues.
He said they still aren’t sure if they will be able to rebuild.
“We’re just trying to figure out what we’re going to do. Right now it’s either sell the house or somehow hopefully somebody gives us a nice estimate to come fix the house.
He said the still need to come up with the additional money to complete the repair and that’s in the tens of thousands still. He said he has depleted his savings with all the unexpected expenses because of the flooding.
Either way zach said he’s relieved to have some extra funding to get them through the dark times.
“Right now the kids are devastated about the situation. But it was FEMA coming up here, thanks to our governor and President Trump, that we finally are getting some back to normal in our life,” said Zach.
He said he’s impressed with how fast FEMA works, they already have received $40,000 of the $57,000
approved in federal funding.