DEL.ICIO.USFlooded church awaits word from city on broken pipe
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, July 13, 2009
Two weeks and a day after a broken Atlanta water main flooded Sunday service at Word of Life Outreach Ministries, the congregation is still waiting to hear if the city is going to take responsibility for damages.
“I haven’t heard anyone from the city say, ‘Can we help? We just stopped by to check on you,’” the Rev. George Ballard Jr. said Monday.
Kent D. Johnson / kdjohnson@ajc.com
Rev. George Ballard surveys the restoration work on the pulpit area at Word of Life Outreach Ministries.
He called his city councilman, C.T. Martin, for aid after the flood, but he hasn’t heard anything since.
Martin said he gave Ballard information to file a claim against the city and then passed Ballard’s claim on to the city attorney’s office.
Ballard wants the city to pay for damages not covered by his insurance. “I don’t know what we will do,” Ballard said. “My insurance is doing part of it, but my parking lot is all messed up” and it is not insured.
The rising water from the broken, 53-year-old water main poured across the lot on Delmar Lane and into the sanctuary June 29. Members tried to staunch the water flowing under doors with towels but soon gave up and lifted the organ to higher ground to save it.
Members — usually about 120 show up — took off their Sunday shoes, made their way to cars and returned later that night to sweep and vacuum water out of the building.
Deputy City Attorney Jerry de Loach told the Journal-Constitution that Atlanta has heard the cries of the congregation. A review, if not swift, is sure.
The city gets about 1,100 claims of all kinds against it each year, he said.
“We will request substantiation,” which includes damage reports, photographs and visits by city inspectors.
“Even if we accept or deny it, the city council has to approve it,” de Loach said.
“The process will include an investigation to determine liability,” de Loach said. “That will take some period of time to do that.”
In the meantime, Ballard said, insurance is handling part of the job, including tearing out damaged carpets and walls.
“If I waited on the city, everything would probably have mold in here,” Ballard said.
On Monday, Ballard said he expects it will be three or more weeks before the church building can be used again. They are meeting in the fellowship hall, which was on higher ground.
Standing in the middle of the church, which is being gutted, he said, “They can’t deny it.”
The church was not the only establishment under water that day. Cascade Family Skating Rink also flooded. A call to the business reached a recording, saying it was closed because of the flooding, but it was still holding limited events, such as dances and parties.
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