The Busted Pipe Chronicles, Day 1: The Incident

I, like many Texans, had their pipes burst and home flooded with water. Here is my story.

It's last Tuesday at noon when I hear a strange sound in the ceiling. It sounded like a river was flowing above my head near the ceiling fan. Then suddenly, streams of water came poring down in my living room from 4-5 spots in the ceiling. I immediately called my landlord and I got no answer like the phone was disconnected. So I attempted to turn off the water but somehow one of the levers to turn it off was broken off already! So I called 911 and the operator ignored me.

Six hours go by with repeated calls to 911 being shrugged off and dumping out totes full of water out my front door as water pours out of the ceiling fan, front window, light fixtures, smoke detectors and even the light switches! (You would think the risk of a electrical fire would be reason enough to send someone sooner to turn off the water but I guess not. Preventing fires isn't as important as fighting fires.) That's when the ceiling finally collapses and there is sheetrock, insulation and water everywhere in my home. It's a good thing I turned off all lights, unplugged everything and turned off the power on the fuse box or I would've been electrocuted by then. I already moved my recliner into the kitchen in an attempt to keep it dry but my couch and dinner table was not so lucky. Both of them ended up getting covered in all that crap and could be a total loss when you add on the ankle deep flood water to the situation.

Night time arrives where it's so cold I can see my breath indoors and the fire department FINALLY arrives. Funny thing is that they were there for something else at the complex and got the call about my issue when they was about to leave. So they survey the damage and sees the culprit, a busted pipe in the ceiling shooting out water like a garden hose. One of the firemen remarked "Why the hell is the water pipe in the ceiling?". That's a question millions of people ask every year when a busted pipe fucks up their entire home. Apparently, it's a common practice in order to save on labor costs and reduce damage during replumbing work.

After walking around the property trying to find the main water shutoff valve (Because who the fuck designed this place?), they stopped the water but the damage was already done. The entire ceiling is gone, the entire floor is flooded with water, there's no heat, it's completely inhabitable. So I was taken to a hospital to get checked out because I was standing around in water during below freezing temperatures. What a shitshow this became thanks to Coronavirus!

Stay tuned tomorrow for Day 2: The Hospital Visit in The Busted Pipe Chronicles.