Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
DRAPER — Hundreds of gallons of water filled Justin Wyse's window well before it sent a spider-webbing crack across the window — then shattering it and sending the water, dirt and debris flooding into the house.
Having only owned their Draper home for five months, Wyse said he and his wife, Kimberly Marino, lost dozens of personal possessions and suffered thousands of dollars in damage to their home. It will cost them $15,000 for in-house and personal expenses.
Wyse noted that their insurance will pay nothing as the heavy rainstorm on Aug. 3 was "an act of God."
Despite his best efforts to raise money to pay off some of the expenses, he started an online fundraiser with GoFundMe,* which, he said, wasn't an easy task. Now, the community has raised over $3,300 of their $15,000 goal to assist the family.
"It's humbling," he said. "It's also, you know, you kind of gotta swallow your pride … I don't think anybody enjoys asking for money. It's just not a fun position to be in."
4 families, 4 efforts
Wyse and Marino are not the only victims — and they aren't the only family receiving funds.
With four different GoFundMe* campaigns, donors have collectively raised $8,000 to help four different families cover flood damage for homes and personal property after the record-breaking rains hit Draper on Aug. 3.
Another family has a GoFundMe* hoping to help pay for the renovation of their daughter's bedroom, which now exists without walls, due to the recent flooding, Marie Porter said.
"The restoration companies are back and having a hard time even completing what they started at their home," Russ Thorup said, the neighbor that helped organize the Porter family GoFundMe. "So the neighbors in the community have kind of stepped in and helped out where we can, to do the things that just need to get done so that they can feel like things are progressing in order to eventually get back in their home."
Brian Porter and his daughter were getting ready for a youth trip with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — and then they saw the flood rains. They went outside to investigate, only to find the window well was helping to funnel dozens of gallons of water into their basement. The family ran to try to salvage any items they could.
They stopped searching for and grabbing items after their daughter was shocked, Brian Porter said.
After they turned off the electricity and went back to the basement, the water was up to their knees. The water continued to rise up to the second level of their house.
"Our washer and dryer were on a second level from the bottom and it was completely immersed. Our furnace was completely immersed," Marie Porter said, adding that because the furnace was immersed, their central heating and cooling system is now broken.
The Porters are staying with family on mattresses on the floor, trying to get their daughter adjusted to school while also attempting to solve how they will pay for the astronomical damage expenses — which are also not covered by insurance, she continued.
While they have gone to the city for assistance, there has been no response, Brian Porter said. Currently, he added, they have no idea how long they will need to live outside of their home.
Other neighbors and family members have started fundraising campaigns, as well, with Hunter Rowe raising over $1,600 of the $10,000 goal to help his grandparents, Don and Barbara Hazard, who are both in their 90s.
"We have been blessed to have a great local community response in draining the water and moving all of their possessions into storage," Rowe said on the GoFundMe* page. "But Barb and Don are still in need of some assistance to cover the astronomical costs of restoring their home to a livable condition."
The Utah community has also rallied around Bri Boren, raising over $2,200 of her $8,000 target to repair the flood damage in her parent's house — as insurance won't cover almost any of the damage, she said.
"The money from the GoFundMe* is to help pay for the equipment needed to help put their driveway back together and road base that got washed away," she said. "It is also going to help fix the drywall and carpet in their basement."
Helping in more ways than one
Despite losing so much, Marie Porter said she is grateful she and her family are alive.
"We're so fortunate to have what we have," she said. "I'm just grateful for all of the support and for all the love."
Wyse agreed, adding that his neighbors helped him and Marino feel less discouraged, especially after spending hours at their home for clean-up efforts.
"There's a lot of stuff that people can do to help, beyond financially, right, like because there's a lot of people that might not be in a position to help financially," Wyse said. "Maybe you're not in a position to be able to donate financially but you could donate time, you know, or effort, in terms of like shoveling stuff and that has just as big of an impact, if not more so."
