Residents of Livonia, Michigan are still feeling the effects of a tornado that ripped through their neighborhood nearly two months ago. Even now, the sounds of tree companies grinding down stumps and repairing roofing can be heard within the neighbourhood located close to the I-96 and Newburgh.
The storm, which wreaked havoc on June 5, was responsible for large-scale destruction, ranging from uprooting numerous trees to causing power outages. Regrettably, the event also resulted in the tragic death of a three-year old boy.
However, the struggles for many Livonia residents continue as they face uphill battles with insurance companies, trying to gain claim approvals for the damage caused by the tornado.
Niko Anagnostopoulos, one resident whose home was considerably damaged speaks about his own ordeal: “I was about to go get some carry out and I just thought I was going to be driving in a thunderstorm and I’m sitting in the car and next thing I know these trees are falling into the yard,” he said. “It happened so fast it was hard to even know what happened.”
At Anagnostopoulos’ home, two huge trees fell, damaging the gutters, fence, children’s playing area and his windows. His roofing, which was already old, was further damaged by the event.
Upon approaching his insurance company for claims to undertake necessary repairs, Anagnostopoulos was disappointed to find that they were only offering a small portion of what was required to replace the roof at the lowest cost.
“You pay and pay and pay and then when you need something not only do you have to still pay the deductible but now it’s going on two months and we still don’t know what’s going on,” Anagnostopoulos lamented.
The resident, although having received a check from his insurer, says he will still have to spend thousands from his own pocket to make other necessary repairs. He also highlights that many of his neighbors are experiencing similar issues with their insurance providers.
“Mainly the people who are getting nothing. Yeah, I want help too but I want other people to step forward,” said Anagnostopoulos. “There’s people who are getting denied altogether and that’s not fair at all.”
Clearly, the secondary storm these residents currently face is the struggle for fair insurance payouts. Their hope continues to be that their insurance providers step up, recognize the extent of the damage, and provide the aid these households desperately need.
