Betsy owns a vacation home in Clanton, Alabama, a place she visits year-round, but especially during the warmer months. But this past winter, she hadn’t been there in some time – record-breaking freezing temperatures made the lake less inviting, and she was also out of state for medical treatment. Before the cold weather rolled in, she took necessary steps like setting the heat to a consistent temperature and opening the cabinet doors under the sink. The house was the last thing on her mind—that is, until her phone rang.

The call was from Chilton Water Authority, who informed her that the current month’s water bill had reached nearly $600. Confused, Betsy got in touch with her son, who lives nearby, and asked him to check on the house. When he arrived, what he discovered was worse than anyone could have imagined. A pipe had burst in the upstairs part of the house during the freeze, resulting in major water damage and a flooded home.