NORTH LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Families in North Lauderdale and Northwest Miami-Dade are reeling after their ceilings collapsed due to the weekend’s relentless rain is asking for the community’s help.
Tropical Storm Isaias may have moved away from South Florida, but the system has left a lasting impression on Arlene and her family in the wake of Saturday’s ceiling collapse at their North Lauderdale quadplex unit.
Arlene, who spoke to 7News on Sunday, said they are now homeless.
“It was devastating. We were fearful for our safety as well,” she said.
The family was forced to stay in a hotel overnight after the torrential downpours caused their ceiling to give in and sent gallons of water gushing into their living room.
Cellphone video captured the extent of the damage.
“Pieces of the ceiling hitting the furniture, and the whole house is flooded,” said Arlene. “It started off in the living room, entering into the kitchen, going into the bedroom.”
The family said it started as a small leak quickly led to the collapse, forcing them to move out. The building, located along Southwest 73rd Avenue, has since been deemed unlivable.
Because their roof was already damaged and needed some work, the American Red Cross was unable to help.
In addition, Arlene said, her landlord has not been helpful and is nowhere to be found.
“They should have something set up for when something like this happens,” she said. “Either if the landlord is in town or not in town, they should have protocols on how to handle the situation, so it’s very devastating that our family has to deal with this and has to be homeless because of neglect of the landlord.”
Northwest Miami-Dade resident Sandra Guas and her family has been dealing with a similar situation after their ceiling collapsed during the weekend.
“Everything just fell on top of me. It hurt my leg, my knee, my foot. I’m hurt,” said Guas.
The tenant said she has been dealing with the landlord over this issue for months at the property, located near Northwest 12th Avenue and 105th Street.
“It could have been even worse, because what about if it would have fallen on my head?” she said. “I could have been dead, I could have been knocked out. It could have been worse. It was my feet, it was my legs, but it could have been anything else.”
Arlene, meanwhile, said she and her loved ones don’t have the money to continue staying in hotels, and with her father’s kidney disease and ailing health, they’re in desperate need of help.
“There’s a pandemic, and now we have nowhere to stay, and we’re trying to find somewhere to live,” she said.
Despite extensive damage to the property in North Lauderdale, officials said, no one was hurt.
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