Bursting pipes cause flooding at Gianna House

EASTPOINTE — The staff members at Gianna House Pregnancy & Parenting Residence continue to recover from a flooding incident that occurred when several pipes burst just after Christmas.

The flooding damaged every floor of Gianna House, which is located in the former convent home of St. Veronica Catholic Church at 21357 Redmond Ave.

Gianna House provides a safe residence for tri-county women ages 18 to 25 and their newborn infants in need of a temporary place to live. Staff is on the premises 24 hours a day.

Currently, three young women and their babies are residing at the home. They were not hurt during the flooding, which occurred in the early morning hours of Dec. 26.

According to staff, the temperature outside was 16 degrees and the fire prevention pipes burst on the third flood because of the cold weather. The pipes are part of the fire suppression system.

“The very old facility boiler is expected to be the cause,” states the Gianna House website, www.giannahouse.org.

The pipes bursting and the subsequent flooding set off the fire alarm, and the building’s alarm company notified Executive Director Joella Bush. She also received notification from the midnight staff member who said, “There was water everywhere.”

There are four floors at Gianna House, including a basement level.

“Water was coming from the ceiling and all the light fixtures, through vents,” Bush said. “Hundreds of gallons of water was dumped in the facility.”

The Eastpointe Fire Department arrived quickly on the scene and shut off the water. The water has since been turned back on. The Fire Department could not be reached for comment on the incident.

“I could see busted pipes. We had eight or nine pipes that burst on the third floor. The pipes were full of ice,” Bush said. “The water seeped through the floors. It continued to go down to the first floor and the basement. We had about a foot of water in the basement.”

During the event, the young residents and their babies, along with staff, evacuated the building according to emergency protocol.

“The south side of the building is what was affected,” Bush said. “The north side was not affected. The mommies and babies are OK. It’s been an adjustment for them. We’re keeping the girls on the north side of the building.”

The north side is where the mothers and babies suites are, the great room, the chapel and Bush’s office.

The kitchen, dining room, one apartment and office space are located on the south side on the first floor. The second floor had damage to two bathrooms and offices. Sofas and carpeting also were ruined.

Donations of diapers, books, formula, toys, blankets and baby items such as high chairs, car seats and strollers are stored in the basement. Those items are distributed to young moms in the area who don’t reside at Gianna House.

“We lost about 85% of our donations,” Bush said.

With the kitchen damaged, including a disruption in the electricity, local charities and businesses have pitched in to provide meals to the residents.

“We have insurance. We know insurance is not going to cover everything. We need some help from the community,” Bush said. “We need help putting everything back together. The basement is full of moisture. We’re worried about mold. We’re worried about rust.”

Gianna House is currently accepting monetary donations to help rebuild. Donations can be made on its website at www.giannahouse.org to the “Our Winter Emergency” fund.

A GoFundMe page also has been established online. In addition, checks payable to Gianna House can be sent to Gianna House, 21357 Redmond Ave., Eastpointe, MI 48021.

In addition to monetary donations, Gianna House needs a temporary storage space for its donations of diapers and baby items. Anyone who can offer a storage pod is asked to reach out to Gianna House at jbush@giannahouse.org or by calling (586) 445-0440.

Help also will be needed down the road.

“At some point we are going to need volunteers for cleaning up, sorting, making phone calls and answering the phone,” Bush said. “Any skilled tradespeople interested in donating their time and talent can call for a contract form.”

Staff is grateful to the firefighters who arrived on the scene when the flooding happened.

“I would like to commend the Eastpointe Fire Department. They were exceptional. They were just awesome,” Bush said. “They carefully escorted me through the building so I could look at the damage. They had a water restoration company come out right away. They were very compassionate.”