Removal and restoration of flooded basement

Hello- we are the Bebensee family- Lindsey (me, mom), Jason (dad, husband) and Peyton (teenage son). On Wednesday May 10th, 2023 two big things happened to us: Our son, P, turned 16. And our world tilted on its axis (unrelated to the teenager, unbelievably). This is our story.

On May 10, 2023 at about 3pm, Colorado had a massive storm front move through the metro and surrounding areas. The area we live in, at the edge of Parker, was hit hard. We had flooding, extreme winds in excess of 100 mph, and a range of hail sizes from pebble to softball, depending.

By the time the storm passed that day, it had left a trail of damage to our home. We had damage to the roof, the back door (our door handle just disappeared!), but most worryingly was the damage to our windows. The window next to the bed in our master bedroom was blown completely out of the wall, leaving a gaping hole where water was pouring in. The windows in P’s room and the guest room were also heavily damaged and the drywall was peeled away leaving metal surface showing. However, we were dry and safe, and it was our son’s birthday. We were determined to not let this damage be our focus

. We cleaned and taped up plastic before heading to dinner to celebrate P’s 16th birthday. As my mom says, it’s not cancer. We didn’t let it

ruin

us.

As a family, we are used to disasters, but of the medical kind. As a teenager, I was diagnosed with Burkitts Lymphoma, the fastest growing human tumor cancer there is. As a result of the treatment used to survive that- my health has been bad even in the good times. So when it comes to disasters, we like to think we are prepared. This time we were not.

By Friday May 12th, we’d gotten over 3 inches of rain and Wednesday’s drama was about to look small comparatively.

When we got home from work Friday, and went to the basement for Iaido practice, we discovered that the storm had continued to damage our house. The basement was flooded; there were places with ~2 inches of standing water. It is still getting worse by the hour. We placed a call with our insurance company but have been unable to speak with a human at this point. We got ahold of a storm company (Action 911 Restoration, LLC- run by Derek. This company has been AMAZING and we highly recommend their services!) and by the time he got to our house, the water had not just risen - it spread. Derek, the owner, has been amazing but even with his vast knowledge we cannot determine where/how the water is coming in. It’s coming from all sides and really random places. Most concerning is that it seems to be coming from the foundation. Derek hasn’t seen anything like this, and as it is outside of his wheelhouse, he’s bringing in construction pros to help us determine the source and how to stop it. However, because of how vast this problem is, getting the answers and help we need will likely take some time - the inspector won’t be able to be here by Monday at the earliest- and a lot of money. We are just praying our entire foundation hasn’t been compromised. Derek is trying to keep it under control until then, but it’s a really hard fight when we don’t know where the water source is. Because of this, he is also unsure that insurance will cover this.

With all of this going on, and the costs as unknown as the water source, we are living in fear of not just mold, but sky high costs of fixing this. Especially if insurance decides it isn’t covered. To try and alleviate some of the stress, I am starting this go fund me. All money raised will go to the deductible and further costs of getting this fixed. If insurance declines coverage, we are looking at over $100,000 in just physical damages. My husband works from home and all 3 servers the company runs on were damaged by the water. This means the company and my husband will be losing money, too. Our clothing, our memories, our wedding album, all of it is wet and damaged. It’s hard to comprehend how much stuff has been damaged by this water. The more we uncover, the more it hurts.

With all of this in mind, we are asking for help. Please help us raise enough money to save our home. We also greatly appreciate your prayers - they are much needed as well.

This storm has been vast and long- we are sending our love to all of the other amazing Coloradans dealing with damage and trauma from it. Coloradans are strong and resilient- we will come out of this stronger than before. Thank you so much for your help, and prayers.

~The Bebensee Family