Neighbors Pitch In After Family Loses Cars, Major Appliances In Flooding

MCCANDLESS (KDKA) -- The North Hills was hard hit by last week's storms.

It's left behind a big mess, and people were still cleaning up mud and debris Sunday.

In McCandless, neighbors pitched in to help one family in particular.

Nick Kalich has a long clean-up ahead after severe rainstorms threatened his house on Highland Road with a barrage of running water.

Flood waters burst into his basement and destroyed his furnace, the washer, dryer and furniture.

Kalich worried that he and his wife may be trapped.

"It actually came around the house," he said. "It was up to the front door. There were a couple of minutes we were worried we might not be able to get out."

According to neighbors, water gushed off a hillside like a river, rushed across Highland Road over a sewer grate like it wasn't there, and then down through a yard into the creek.

Once the flood waters reached the creek, there was another problem caused by a tree, which was eventually removed.

"A 20-foot tree and the rootball basically plugged it up like a bathtub," Kalich said.

Pictures show some of the damage outside to several cars left submerged.

High water also moved a shed from a neighbor's house and left a thick coat of mud everywhere.

Kalich and his neighbors are getting help from concerned citizens in McCandless.

"They lost everything. They lost their cars, they lost their furnace, they lost their air conditioner," Cindy Waeltermann said. "They lost everything in their home, and basically what we're trying to do is just help them."

People aren't only donating cash, cleaning supplies and other necessities. They're also helping with the clean-up.

Neighbors also say neither Allegheny County nor the township are claiming responsibility, and like many of his neighbors who live near small creeks, Kalich has no flood insurance.

"Hopefully my insurance company will do something, but we're prepared for the worse," Kalich said.

Neighbors have set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for the damages.

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