As an insurance agent – serving folks like you for nearly 43 years, I can give examples of why a certain coverage is needed almost daily. Often, we are able to help someone see the need for that coverage. However, there is nothing like a real-life story of a case when someone looks back and says …”if only I had that coverage!” This is one of those sad cases.
The following story was released this morning in The Tennessean and it hurts me to read it. As I hear so often – “I don’t need that insurance … we’ll be fine!” “That could never happen to us!” Sadly, sometimes, it does!
Four weeks after deadly floodwaters encroached on the home of Gennie and Burt Blank, the home is gutted: floors are ripped up, drywall stripped and nearly every one of their possessions destroyed.
They don’t have flood insurance, meaning the cost to replace everything they couldn’t salvage — clothes, furniture, vehicles, decorations, everything that makes a home a home — will be tens of thousands of dollars. Just to get back to a functioning level will likely cost $30,000, Gennie Blank said, and that’s a conservative estimate.
What wasn’t destroyed when several feet of water swept through the home on Derby Lane was almost immediately covered in mold as the home dried out. They aren’t alone. Many of their neighbors are in a similar situation, facing uncertainty as they decide whether it’s worth the journey to repair their homes after flash flooding on March 27.
Flooding was the last thing on the mind of the Blank family the night the downpour came. Instead, they were stressed about possible tornadoes. Then they took a peek outside and saw waters encroaching from a nearby creek and from across the road. Within 10 minutes, a rush of water had risen to the handle of their front door and they were trapped, terrified that their lives were at stake.
“As the water continued to get deeper and I realized we had no way out, I went into a full-blown panic,” Gennie Blank said. “And the water just wouldn’t stop. It wouldn’t stop.”
As water began to come up through the floor vents in the living room, the rushing water outside sounded like a freight train as it slammed against the home.
They thought about trying to make it to their vehicle to escape, but a nearby creek had encroached on the backyard, too. The family attempted to make it to the attic that was attached to the garage, but when they opened the door, they saw the washing machine, still plugged into the wall, floating, making it impossible to wade into the water without risking electrocution.
“For about five minutes, I thought the house was going to shift,” Burt Blank said.
They, along with their 18-year-old daughter Emma and two corgis Iggy and Rosie, were rescued by emergency workers, who scrambled to save people trapped across Williamson County. Gennie Blank said she called 911 three times, and with each call her panic escalated as dispatch told her crews were on their way.
Emma Blank was injured by debris, and Burt Blank developed a staph infection after wading in the dirty water.
The family plans to meet with the rescue team leader in the coming weeks to thank him for saving them. While they were anxious and panicked, he was cool and calm, Gennie Blank said.
Weeks later the floodwaters have receded, but the damage is ever-present. The home is uninhabitable, now only a husk of its former self, stripped naked so damage can be assessed. The yard is littered with debris, like two storage sheds, a lawnmower and a wheelbarrow — none of it theirs, but missing items belonging to neighbors, swept away by the waters.
One neighbor came by in search of Christmas ornaments handmade by his children that were displaced. They weren’t there.
“It broke my heart,” Gennie Blank said. “It did.”
The Blanks have rented the home for nearly three years and thought they were insured. But it wasn’t until the disaster hit that Gennie Blank said they realized that their landlord was insured for the home and contents she supplied to them, like the dishwasher.
The Blanks’ items weren’t covered, and they were on their own. Both their cars were wrecked by the water, and although insurance will cover most of the damage, they still have to fork over some of the costs themselves for new vehicles.
They make up 98% of the Tennesseans who lack flood insurance, which must be purchased separately from standard home owner’s or renter’s insurances. Standard renter’s insurance policies do not cover flood damage to personal possessions, though separate flood coverage for renters is available for purchase.
While the family is currently living with family in White Bluff, almost an hour away from the school Emma Blank attends, they’re thinking of relocating to Cookeville after she graduates in a few weeks. Homes are more affordable there, and they’d be close to family.
Every time they find a home like like that’s available for rent, it’s almost immediately snatched up before they can inquire about it. Franklin’s home for the family, but too expensive, they said.
“I can’t hardly talk about it,” Gennie Blank said tearfully. “This is home. I’ve got my rose bushes planted. We have two bird nests. We’ve been watching those birds, those babies, the entire time.”
A GoFundMe has been created for the family to help them raise money to replace their possessions as they rebuild their lives in the coming months.
We have had several claims from the March 27th storm. We’re replacing roofs, cleaning up debris and dealing with some auto flood losses covered by auto insurance. We also had a major FLOOD claim from one of our clients who HAD flood insurance. The total to date for that claim, approximately $60,000.
We can insure you for flood insurance – whether you are in an apartment, home or condo. We represent companies that write the FEMA designed flood product. That is the standard most available for our region. If we can help you, please let us know. TEXT or CALL US at 615.377-1212 or email us at info@BentonWhite.com. We want to help and certainly don’t want you to suffer as the Blanks family has suffered.
Stay safe and healthy and thanks for reading the blog!
Portions of this blog post are taken from an article in The Tennessean – May 6, 2021 … reported by Brinley Hineman with assistance from Cassandra Stephenson.
