KATY – More than a month after the winter storm, Joshua Lynch of Katy is still dealing with major repairs inside his home.
He’s one of thousands of residents across the Houston area who are still trying to recover from busted water pipes and other damage.
The mold is so bad, Lynch said that he can’t sleep inside the home.
“I’ve been sleeping in the garage for like the last month,” he said. “Or in my truck because I’m not sleeping in the house.”
A look around his Cimarron neighborhood shows several of his neighbors are dealing with the same problem.
Lots of sheetrock and even appliances sit on lawns as evidence of the storm’s effects.
Several neighbors KPRC 2 spoke with pointed out at least six homes where families have decided to leave until repairs could be started.
“A couple of houses down, they’re whole house flooded out completely,” said Lynch. “They haven’t been back since.”
In addition to his own repairs, Lynch has been helping neighbors with theirs; from mucking homes to building new fences. Tough work, but he said it’s needed in order to bring people back to normalcy.
“As long as I stay busy, I don’t dwell,” he said. “I just try to keep going.”
Lynch believes it will take two to three months before his home is fully restored.