PHOENIX — "It was just a nasty, muddy, disgusting mess," explained Cindy Geremia, who's lived in her Sunnyslope home for the past decade.
She now stands in that home, not knowing if it will ever be the same.
"Every wall in my house, the sheet rock was cut about three feet up. All the insulation was removed and the paint...it was just a war zone in here," Geremia said.
In August 2018, rain from a monsoon storm turned the wash behind Geremia's home into a raging river.
That water had only one place to go, and unfortunately, it was right through Geremia's back wall.
"I was screaming. I was crying. I was in total disbelief. I didn't know where the water was coming from," Geremia said.
Geremia says no one can control Mother Nature, but blames the City for not properly maintaining the wash.
She says the wash was filled with mud, trash, tree limbs, and many other items.
"They told me it wasn't their responsibility. It's not a canal. It's a roadway. That canal is not a roadway! Never has been and never will be," Geremia said.
And now, she's on the hook for nearly $60,000 in damage. She doesn't have flood insurance, so that's all out of her own pocket.
She's tried filing a claim with the City, but it got her nowhere.
We reached out to the City of Phoenix for an on-camera interview and we're given the following statement:
"Our Risk Management staff evaluates each claim on the individual facts of the case. In this case, the claim was thoroughly investigated and considered by Risk Management staff, city attorneys, and the Street Transportation Department. That review determined the loss was not a result of city action."
"I just want them to take responsibility for the damage that was done to my home," Geremia explained.
