SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A beloved grandfather gone. A family home in Shelltown swamped by floodwaters. We saw the devastating toll of the January floods. Now, we follow through nearly eight months later, and we find them at a standstill with their rebuild.
So many months later, life remains out of sorts for Sandra Garcia.
“Doesn’t feel normal yet,” she said.
I met Sandra’s son Rene at their Shelltown home in late January, as their family mourned the loss of Sandra's 79-year-old husband, Juan.
“I feel overwhelmed and powerless,” Sandra told me in the January interview.
Cellphone video shows the rain outside their family home on the day of the flood. That morning, a family member carried Juan out of the rising waters.
After they placed him in the car, the water rose to seat level.
Exposed to the cold rainwater for many minutes, Juan was diagnosed with pneumonia and passed away days later.
"Me and my husband were one person. I miss him very much” said Sandra.
“It broke my heart, still breaks my heart,” said Rene Garcia in the January interview.
Amid the grief, the floods decimated the family home of more than two decades, sending six family members to hotels and relatives' homes.
The total loss is more than $120,000 in damage and lost property.
The family received about $25,000 from FEMA.
Using that money and maxing out credit cards, the Garcias, with the help of volunteers, demoed and rebuilt several rooms. They managed to move back into those rooms a few months ago.
But nearly eight months after the floods, the money has run out, and the rebuild is stalled.
Half of the kitchen remains unfinished, along with a bedroom. One of two bathrooms remains a mess after a contractor left the job. When the contractor took apart the walls and floor, they found a big problem: Termites.
The Garcias are unable to cover the cost of termite treatment. And so they wait; their rebuild remains on pause.
“I feel adrift. I do. I feel like it... It's not even home,” said Rene.
Inside that home, the still present flood damage still inspires a flood of emotions.
“It's just a back flash of everything happening all over again. Sad and depressing,” said Rene.
Through their painful journey, the family leans on their faith.
“I pray for strength,” said Sandra.
The Garcias are hoping for help from a fumigation company.
A Gofundme campaign has also been set up to help them with the rebuild.
