Blind 85-year-old fears losing home for good after winter storm damage causes mildew, unbearable conditions
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A family in southwest Houston said they're on the verge of losing their home following the aftermath of the winter storm that hit Houston three weeks ago.
Like many others, Ossie Riley's water pipes froze and burst, but her pipe issues also brought major flooding inside of her home.
"The water was coming so strong from up under my sink that it knocked off one of my doors to my cabinet," said Riley.
Since then, her home has suffered severe damage, and mold continues to grow in her air vents and on her walls.
"The mildew, it's unlivable conditions for anybody," said her granddaughter Lakita.
Riley is a retired school teacher with multiple sclerosis, and her 85-year old grandmother who lives with her is blind.
Her home is empty, but she said she has not been successful at getting any help.
"I've had my house since 1988. To experience such a devastating tragic situation, it is very unbearable," she said.
Riley said she fears that she will lose her home for good.
"She and my grandmother literally do not have anything right now," her daughter said. "They do not have a house to go back and stay in. If they go back and stay in, I feel like it's going to affect their health. They might not make it."
ABC13 reached out to Councilmember Carolyn Evans-Shabazz in District D which covers the neighborhood where Riley lives, but we have not gotten a response.
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