Flood leaves owners high and dry

Following a city water main break before Christmas, a Cloquet family finds itself in an insurance nightmare where no one will help them: neither the city nor their insurance agent.

Residents Jamie and Andrea Anderson addressed the Cloquet City Council Tuesday, sharing the story (and photos) of the water main break that damaged their home, which also serves as an in-home childcare.

The Cloquet couple were denied by their own insurance company, State Farm, which blamed the city. Then the city's insurance adjustor called it "an act of God" rather than city neglect or negligence, and also denied their claim.

The Dec. 19 break - which occurred on an adjacent street - sent a substantial amount of water across a neighbor's yard and straight at their house on the 1400 block of 16th Street, defeating a home storm sewer system that easily handled the 2012 flood.

They'd been warned by a parent dropping off a child that a lot of water was making its way down 16th Street.

"When I looked out the north window, I could see a river of water coming toward our home," Andrea said.

She launched into action, using everything she could find to divert the water away from the house, including boards, old gutters that had been replaced, plywood, etc. In the end, they estimated 40 percent of their home was damaged by water from the break, which continued unabated for some time.

"Our home was filled with clay and silt and water," she said, walking councilors through printed photographs of the flood and its aftermath that she handed out before speaking.

"Who will take responsibility for this damage?" Andrea asked. "I know we did not want this to happen any more than the city of Cloquet wanted this to happen."

The Andersons estimate they will spend at least $20,000, including repairs and a $10,000 bill for immediate flood mitigation by ServPro, which cut out all drywall and insulation from the floor two feet up the wall, and removed flooring, the bathroom vanity and toilet. They had to throw away pantry items and other belongings. Landscaping was damaged as well.

The one bright note is they've saved costs because Jamie is a carpenter and can make many of the repairs.

"This is our home, our business, our livelihood," Andrea said. "This is a much unanticipated loss, and we ask that responsibility be taken."

City administrator Tim Peterson said he would call the insurance adjustor, but explained he wasn't surprised by the denial, because the city wasn't found negligent. The public works director also spoke with the couple after they left the meeting.