Family tries to save home of 94-year-old Nebraska flood victim
By Craig Nigrelli
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OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — Relatives of 94-year-old Celianne La Rosa, lovingly known as Aunt Cici, are trying to save the home that the elderly woman has lived in for nearly 50 years.
Flash flooding from the late September storm in Omaha sent water from Little Papio Creek gushing into the Elmwood Gardens neighborhood near Elmwood Park.
The floodwaters washed out the foundation of Cici’s home, leaving a gaping hole where the basement sits.
A blue tarp now covers part of it as family members have spent dozens of hours over the past two weeks digging mud and debris out of the lower portion of the house.
A massive mound of mud now sits in the backyard. There are piles of splintered wood strewn about.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Cici’s nephew Mike Zabawa.
He says the plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems all need replacing.
The house is Cici’s primary asset or source of equity.
Mike and his wife Paula (Cici’s niece) were preparing to sell the house and use the money from the sale to move Cici to an assisted living facility.
The flood waters washed away those hopes for the time being.
Cici has been staying at a rehab facility while dealing with health issues.
Repairing her home, in order to eventually sell it, will take tens of thousands of dollars in costs.
“By selling the house, we would have been able to fund her assisted living for many years, “noted Mike Zabawa.
He says a lot of family members and friends are chipping in to try to help, including contractors and other service providers.
The Zabawas have started a GoFundMe page, with a goal of $50,000.
They say they are thankful that Aunt Cici was not home at the time of the tremendous flooding on the final night of September and are hoping she eventually can be moved to an assisted living facility as originally planned.
In the meantime, the repairs to her badly damaged house in Elmwood Gardens continue.
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