Customer Testimonial from Judith L. in Kenosha, WI

It Can’t Happen to Me

            I have heard Joe Kennedy repeat many times in the past few months, “…but for the grace of God, there go I.” His statements were in reaction to political policy debates, but that statement seems most apt to me in regard to physical damage to my home from flooding. Anyone is one natural disaster or human tragedy away from seemingly insurmountable loss.

            Who would think one would have to worry about flooding in a quiet suburb in Kenosha County?  That is exactly what I had to face on July 12, 2017.  Torrential rains deluged Kenosha County.  I measured 10 1/2 inches in three hours.  We did not have a power outage for more than a minute so it wasn’t that my sump pump wasn’t working.  It simply couldn’t keep pace with that amount of water coming into the drain tiles. I was one of the lucky ones who only had damage confined to my basement. Because my cat woke me up to alert me to the flooding in the basement, I was able to mitigate damage by alternately using a wet vac and hauling furniture out of my finished basement. For many people west of the interstate, the damage was much more severe. They had standing water in upstairs living quarters. The interstate highway was closed for a short period of time and then traffic was rerouted to a few lanes as the water receded.

            You think you have the best coverage for insurance? Think again. At best you will receive a small portion of what it takes to restore things to functional living space. Insurance companies will try to get you to submit bids from fly by night contractors who will do a fast slip shod job of making your basement look good. As depressing as it is to look for companies that are bonded, licensed and insured, do your homework. I found Buck Buckley’s through Angie's list. They could show jobs they had done right in my community. Their representative was prompt and had a proposal for me before he left my house. After waiting for my insurance company to come through for me, I was put through more hoops.  My insurance company was demanding I have a contractor at my house for them to do a reappraisal. Again Buck Buckley’s was agreeable to help me out.  Though I am now looking at doing the job in sections, I know I have chosen a reputable, conscientious firm with which to work. Thank you, Cory, for all of your help in getting my insurance company to resubmit my claim and getting a bit more toward redoing my basement.