A single mother says she is struggling financially and emotionally, after the basement of her home flooded.
Princeton, B.C., resident Michelle Lang had several inches of water rushing through her basement four months ago. She says that although the mess has since been cleaned up, her insurance won’t pay for the damage.
“If my father hadn’t helped me with my finances, I wouldn’t be okay right now,” said Lang.
Lang’s home wasn’t impacted by the November’s atmospheric river event but says her home flooded due to an old water main that was damaged.
“At first this caused issues with my neighbours — because I thought the water was coming from their property. Then I realized that it wasn’t, and I thought it could be a water main,” she said.
“Sure enough, in January the city was at the back of my house and dug a hole which exposed everything.”
She says the city replaced the water main that she believes caused the flooding in her home.
“After that the flooding completely stopped, I don’t have a drip downstairs. But for four months I had a river running through my basement,” she said.
Lang says that she has been in contact with the Canadian Red Cross, her insurance company and the city but doesn’t believe she will be compensated.
“I have owned this place for four years. Did I buy it like this with a water main problem? How long was this going on for, for my basement to become decayed to a point where there is holes and water flowing through it like a river,” said Lang.
Global News reached out to the Town of Princeton for comment but did not receive a response in time for broadcast.