Local News

Damage Cost, Frustrations Rise for Flood Victims

BEND, OR -- With mounting repair bills, homeowners impacted by a June water main break and flood, are increasingly frustrated with what they say is a lack of action by the city of Bend. Scott Jennrich says he has already paid out more than $6,000 and hasn’t seen any reimbursement yet, and repair estimates are still coming in. "We have to have some cement work done; the force of the water undermined our stem wall, and it also undermined what they call a pier under the house. A new vapor barrier put in, a little bit of insulation work, and then some dirt work, repair landscaping and sprinklers. We need to bring in some more fill, because a good portion of our yard got washed out. Our next-door neighbor, we’re not even in the same ballpark; unfortunately for him and fortunately for us." Jennrich estimates those repairs will run near $20,000, and he says his next door neighbors are out even more.

 

Read more on the June 10 flood on NE 8th Street in Bend. 

 

He’s upset that, two months later, he still has heard very little from the city. "Once we hired an attorney, they refused to talk to us. We stood out in the hallway at City Hall for 2.5 hours to get our three minutes in front of City Council and that has literally been our only communication with the city. Even before we hired an attorney, we emailed them and called them and they didn’t return our calls or respond to our emails. So, that was what kind of forced our hand in hiring an attorney."
 
The city’s insurance company, CIS, originally said it would only pay for water removal and drying. Last week, City Councilors directed the insurance company to investigate the exact cost of fully repairing all effected homes, and say they hope to compensate homeowners. Scott Jennrich and his neighbors were asked this week by CIS to carefully document what was lost and what repairs are needed. "We just want our house put back together; no more or less. So, if that’s the steps we have to go through to do that, we’ll do it, and hopefully they’ll make us whole. I don’t have a whole lot of faith they will, but that’s the hope."
 
City officials tell KBND Councilors will determine how much to compensate homeowners beyond what CIS will pay once they have total estimates; those payments would be made to each homeowner in one lump sum. Jennrich tells KBND if that happens, he will drop plans to sue the city. 

On Air Now

Lars Larson
Lars Larson
7:00pm - 10:00pm
Lars Larson

FlashAlert

KBND ON FACEBOOK

News Disclaimers