PORTLAND, Ore. — A single mother of two in Southwest Portland is grappling with her new reality after a blocked sewage line flooded her apartment days before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Amber Lewis says she noticed a leak in her bathroom and notified a maintenance worker at her apartment. That quickly changed as water started gushing out of her bathroom.
"I have never seen something so horrible in my life," said Lewis. "It was shooting up out of the toilet in the air, from the tub through the whole house, within like 30 seconds."
In an email to KGW, a city of Portland spokesperson confirmed the incident took place on Friday, Nov. 22. They stated that an investigation found 5,555 gallons of sewage was released from a blockage in the sewer line — stemming from a toilet in a different apartment.
"I've reached out to the renter's insurance and to the [apartment] management, but they said they're not going to help me with getting a room," said Lewis. "[They told me] that I can pay for it and then get reimbursed, but I don't have the money to get a room right now."
Lewis and her two daughters currently don't have a place to stay. She was at least hoping to get some help from the Red Cross but was told they couldn't because this wasn't a natural disaster.
"I haven't been able to work in the last month or two because I'm fleeing domestic violence. So, now, I'm not able to go in my home [but] I'm forced in my car," said Lewis. "I was supposed to start hair school today, and I was waiting on my financial aid so I could pay for my housing with my financial aid. I didn't have a backup plan. This is my only plan. Going to school and taking care of my kids and being a better mom and a better citizen out here in society, so I really don't know what to do… I don't know."
The city of Portland's Risk Management Division is working to determine if the city is liable for damages. A spokesperson also shared that the Management Division takes "every claim seriously."
If you would like to help Lewis and her young daughters, you can donate to their GoFundMe page.