It happened without warning.
One year ago today the lives of almost 400 families in Southwest Scarborough were turned upside down when a torrential rainstorm flooded basements with raw sewage and storm water.
“It was a foot and a half geyser coming right up through our toilet”, according to John Foremski of Crescentwood Road.
Sue Ronaldson described water streaming down Queensgrove “like the Mississippi River”.
Hannah Korbee of White Birch recalled “a foot-high wave of disgusting water rushing down the hallway really, really quickly.”
Losses widespread
It was 88 millimetres of rain in one hour that caused a lot of heartache, upset and financial loss.
The flooding affected at least 49 streets in Ward 36.
374 official complaints were filed with the hardest hit areas being Birch Cliff, Chine Drive north and Birchcliff Heights.
People threw away treasured belongings, disposed of furniture, ripped out floors and drywall and squeezed their families into upper floors while they sorted out their finances and negotiated with insurance companies.
Melissa Mercer's flooded basement
Constant worry about rain
Melissa Mercer, who wrote eloquently after the storm about being afraid of the rain, says she’s still apprehensive and braces herself when bad weather blows in to her neighbourhood at Chine Drive north.
That’s even though she installed a backwater valve and opted to simply paint her concrete basement floor and lay down area rugs and child playmats.
“The reason we did that is because I don’t think we really got an answer about why that happened on that day,” says Mercer. “I still feel like they have not done due diligence and confirmed that things are okay or that they were okay. I honestly don’t think we’re that much further ahead.”
Over on Birchcliff Avenue, Mike McCann feels pretty much the same. “I don’t think we’ll ever get over it,” says McCann, noting that when it rained heavily last week he took one look out the window and went straight to the basement.
McCann basement
“I don’t think anything has changed in terms of the infrastructure that the city has. We have to take care of ourselves. I can’t see anything structurally that has changed in terms of the sewers and water drainage system. I remember for the first three months they cleaned out the system, but that was after the fact and I haven’t seen them back since.”
Insurance battles
In the last year, battles have been won and lost with insurance companies, with some homeowners out thousands of dollars and others being told that their policies will not be renewed.
The Facebook group Flood July 15 2012 has several members struggling with insurance issues and seeking advice about switching companies.
Birch Cliff flood clean-up
South of Kingston Road, one homeowner who wishes to remain anonymous, saw a 100% increase in her insurance premium even though her basement did not flood. “Guilt by postal code,” she called it.
“When I asked, the agent explained that there had been a number of claims in this area code and thus – ours would go up. I was shocked at the increase in our insurance premium even though our house had been spared any flood related damage. Didn’t seem fair but that is how insurance works we were told.”
Mike McCann says he doesn’t have the same horror story to tell as other homeowners but was nervous about his insurance nonetheless.
“My one big concern was on my renewal which was in February. I was really worried that my premium would go up. It did not go up and they still maintained my sewer coverage at no additional charge. Thank you RBC.”
Water levels were thigh-high at Wirral Court, Chine Drive area
City of Toronto denies all claims
While the response from individual insurance companies was all over the map, the City of Toronto’s insurance adjuster was infuriatingly consistent.
In November, Birch Cliff News reported that every single one of the 217 claims filed by residents of Ward 36 after the July 15th flood was denied. They were third-party liability claims filed by flooding victims who weren’t insured or were trying to recoup their deductibles.
The adjuster, Granite Claims Solutions, said the flood wasn’t the city’s fault and the onus was on the homeowners to prove negligence.
88-year old takes a stand
But Granite found its match in 88-year old Elsie Ritchie, arguably the most famous flood victim of Ward 36, due to the fact that Toronto Mayor Rob Ford made a personal visit to her home after the flood.
Elsie Ritchie meets Mayor Ford
Ritchie was not insured for flood damage and her losses included a cedar hope chest her late husband gave her when she turned 18 in 1942.
Ritchie’s claim had been denied even though the city workers found a crack in the sewer in front of her house, on the municipal side of the property.
This incensed her daughter Carroll Lefebvre, who has experience working in municipal government, and put that knowledge to use.
“If it started on city property, the city is bloody well responsible for it,” says Lefebvre. “It doesn’t matter what it is. It just means you’ve got to do a little bit of digging and a little bit of harassing and you can’t stop. And if someone says “we can’t help you”, you can’t take that as the gospel. You say ‘damn right you’re going to help me’.”
Wouldn’t take no for answer
Lefebvre refused to accept no for an answer and bombarded the insurance adjuster and city officials with emails for months to get compensation for her mom.
Carroll Lefebvre (left) and Elsie Ritchie
“I don’t think I was rude, I was blunt,” says Lefebvre. “ Quite often I’d say I’m sorry if I’ve upset you but you have to understand how upset I am right now. We’re talking about an 88-year old woman who has never missed voting in her life who is the most law-abiding citizen you’ll ever find on the planet and you have no right treating her this way.”
Eleven months after the flood, after an email to the president of Granite, Lefebvre says her mother got word that she will be compensated for her losses.
Lefebvre describes it as “the squeaky wheel”, her mother calls it “the gift of the gab” – either way, it worked.
And Elsie Ritchie, who turns 89 on Sunday, is about to get a cheque in the mail. It’s believed she is the only one.
“It was a big relief,” said Ritchie. “It seemed we had lost so much. It took 60 years to build it up from a four-room shack and a little kitchen…..working at it constantly to make a home and then this comes along and “poof” – it just seemed all gone.
Happy birthday Elsie.