Local family trying to rebuild after devastating flood
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A local family is trying to save their home after it was badly damaged by flood. Video by ktnv.com
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Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- It's a storm Las Vegas won't soon forget. As much of the valley watched the chaos unfold on television Tuesday, Bryce Tucker, was in the middle of it.
"I actually had to swim into my house to save my dogs," he says. "The water was up to my waste. My shoes and furniture were floating by me."
Just days later, Bryce is trying to save his flood-ravaged home.
"Right now the entire cost is coming out of our pockets," he says. "We're having to take out a loan to be able to live back in this house."
Bryce and his family did not have flood insurance. That's why they're trying to rebuild the house themselves.
"I have construction experience," he says. "But I've never had to do this much at once. Usually you do repairs or remodels room by room. In this case, we have to do the whole house at once. It's quite the family project. I would love to hire someone, but I can't afford it. With us doing all the labor, it will probably still cost us $30,000 for just the materials."
That's not counting the huge expense of replacing everything they lost - furniture, toys, electronics and appliances. Plus, they have to pay for a place to sleep at night.
"We're going to have to stay in a weekly motel until our house is livable," he says. " We looked at renting an apartment, and it's too expensive."
Overwhelming obstacles - that came in a flash, with the flood - will now take months, even years, to overcome.
Homeowners, like Bryce, are still hoping for some state or federal assistance. But it could be a while before they find out if that assistance will come.
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