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Conroe neighborhood still reeling from winter storm
FOX 26 Reporter Ivory Hecker spoke with residents in one Conroe neighborhood who are doing everything they can to survive in their homes following the winter storm.
CONROE, Texas - A Conroe neighborhood is among the many still suffering the consequences of last week’s arctic weather. Five out of seven mobile homes on Reaves Street are still without water due to broken pipes, and that’s only part of the damage caused by the ice and snow.
Robert and Zaneta Gallo say they used blankets and hand warmers to survive the cold weather when they lost power, then they spent nine days without water. Their pipes were repaired Tuesday, but their mobile home is left in serious disrepair.
"The water just- it comes straight through," said Zaneta pointing out cracks and holes in her ceiling.
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When inches of snow and heavy ice collected on the roof of the Gallo family’s mobile home, the ceiling couldn’t quite take the weight of it all.
"It just started coming down," said Zaneta, pointing at her bedroom ceiling. "I put duct tape on it—trying to fix it with duct tape. I was like, oh God. Then the mattress started getting wet."
Ten days after the storm, the home is left with bowed ceilings, cracks and holes where the melting ice and snow poured through.
"It just started coming down, and the plaster started coming down in there," said Zaneta, pointing out serious water damage in one ceiling corner of the home.
"Oh terrible—terrible," said Robert who is a disabled amputee.
All seven of the mobile homes are managed by Juanita Whinery who lives in La Marque.
"You see the thing is: the suppliers ran out of the pipes they need to fix the stuff up," said Whinery.
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With seven mobile homes to repair on top of repairs to her own home, Whinery says her husband has only been able to fix two of their tenants’ pipes so far.
"Her husband’s catalyst converter on his vehicle had broken down," said Zaneta.
"So now our truck is down," said Whinery. "We can’t even go up there. With no supplies and not being able to get there, there’s not much we can do."
The Gallo’s say they haven’t received any promise that their ceiling will be fixed.
"There’s a hole, and it’s coming straight through, and it’s hard to heat the house," said Zaneta.
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After two years of renting their mobile home, Robert and Zaneta say they’re looking for a new place to live. They’ve tried to get help for their battered home from several charities without luck, and they’re worried one more storm could cause the ceiling to collapse.
"Houston gets a lot of things," said Zaneta. "What about Montgomery County, you know?"