RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — More than a week after record rainfall flooded neighborhoods across Palm Beach County, residents in the Lone Pine Estates community of Riviera Beach are getting a clearer picture of what they lost and what it could take to recover.
WPTV reporter Christy Waite listened to neighbors' heartbreaking stories about their recovery process.
WATCH REPORT BELOW:
For residents like Patricia Brown Campbell, the damage is overwhelming.
"My house is completely, absolutely nothing," Brown Campbell said.
Brown Campbell has called Lone Pine Estates home for nine years. She said the recent flooding tore through her home, with water coming in from multiple directions.
"We had water coming from the back and the front. It was horrific," she said.
Brown Campbell estimates the damage to her home could top $100,000. She does not have flood insurance to help cover the cost. Brown Campbell is not alone.
Rochelle Baker-Hughes, president of the neighborhood’s homeowners association, said many residents are now facing significant losses and need financial help.
"A lot of them are going to need financial assistance because these people lost everything," Baker-Hughes said.
Baker-Hughes said Lone Pine Estates is not in a flood zone, leaving some homeowners without flood insurance and wondering where to turn next.
"I am going to pray and wait on the Lord to send us an angel to bail us out of it," Brown Campbell said.
Waite took those concerns to insurance attorney Aaron Bass, who said people without flood insurance should reach out to FEMA and other organizations to find out what assistance may be available.
"You are going to have to call FEMA and see if they will help you. And you need to call non-government agencies," Bass said.
Bass also encourages homeowners to consider purchasing flood insurance even if they do not live in a designated flood zone, because severe flooding can happen outside those areas.
For residents looking for immediate assistance, Palm Beach County has set up a Multi-Agency Resource Center at the Wells Recreation Center in Riviera Beach.
The center brings county and partner agencies together in one location to help people affected by the flooding.
The resource center is open until 7 p.m. Tuesday, and transportation is available for residents who need help getting there.
Wells Recreation Center is located at 2409 Avenue H West in Riviera Beach.
