What Happened Hello and thank you for visiting my website. My name is Mary Ann Ridge, and I am a single woman living in Lorton, Virginia with my two daughters and granddaughter. On May 11th, 2008 my home flooded with four feet of water in the finished basement, and everything was ruined. It was a disaster! The pictures tell the story of how the water ponds behind my property eventually ended in my basement. I have created this site in hopes that others may learn from my experience, and also in hopes of receiving help. Seeking a Solution As part of my efforts to prevent this sort of flooding in the future, I consulted a Geotechnical Engineer. He believes my neighborhood lacks proper storm water drainage, and attributes the flooding I experienced to the nine inches of heavy rain on May 11th coming on top of two weeks of continuous rainfall. He has made a preliminary assessment of my property, and concluded that localized poor drainage conditions leave my home highly susceptible to flooding again if I do not take action to mitigate the poor drainage conditions. This includes including installing a berm, additional pumps, and a generator. Unfortunately, my home insurance claim was denied because I had sump pump coverage, not flood insurance. Based on information from a former insurance adjuster, I believe that my insurance company should have paid for the damages. I have also written letters to Fairfax County, but was denied help by the director of Maintenance and Storm Water, Scott St.Clair. I was told it is not Fairfax County’s fault that my home flooded, and it is not their responsibility to fix the drainage problem. I have contacted the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and not heard anything from them. VDOT paved the roads but will not install drains or ditches for the runoff. What Will Happen If I Do Nothing? In essence, my property has become a sinkhole. I will continue to pursue options with the county and state for help, but in the meantime, I will flood again if I do not install a berm around my home. When it rains for more than one day, the water pools around to the side gate (see the photos). Recently my furnace stopped working; it is less than a year old, but because of the flood, the circuit board rusted. Friends and neighbors have offered to help replace the insulation and drywall that was destroyed by the flood, The urgent need now is to install the berm around the house to prevent further flooding, at an estimated cost of $49,000.00. His letter is attached along with those from the insurance company and Fairfax County. I have simply run out of resources, and am now reaching out for help. Celebrating Community Over the years I have opened my home, providing activities for Senior Citizens, Youth Groups (including Teen Challenge), and Women’s Ministries. I truly value making a positive difference in the lives of others, and I’ve included testimonies from some of the folks that have benefited from my outreach efforts. It will be very difficult to continue these projects if I am living with the constant stress of the likelihood of my home flooding.
In closing, I want to thank everyone who has helped me over the last 6 months: folks who came in the middle of the night to help pump water out of my home; everyone who brought fans, mops and towels to dry the basement after the water was pumped out; the people who tore out the wet insulation and drywall to prevent mold and mildew; and everyone who has had me in their prayers throughout this experience. I know I still have much to do, and it is extremely difficult to do it as a single woman. As you can imagine, the devastation caused by this flood was compounded by lack of payment from the insurance company and the disinterest of the county and state governments. Thank you for reading my story and viewing the pictures, and I sincerely appreciate any help you can give.
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