Pierrefonds resident's return to his dank, wet home is bittersweet

Itsik Romano had no idea what would be waiting for him when he returned to his floodedPierrefonds home for the first time in days.

When he finally walked up the steps and through the door of his house on Maons Street Thursdaymorning, he found the house didn't look as bad as he'd feared it would.

What he noticed first was the smell musty, wet andsewage-tinged.

Romano, his wife KimBronsteinand their four childrenare among dozens of Pierrefonds-Roxboro residentsforced out of their homes due to flooding.They're staying with friends for now.

The water has receded in his neighbourhood, but still, Romano didn't sleep last night, wondering what lay in store.

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When he arrived, he found his kids' toysstill strewn across the living room floor, abandoned thereas, in a panic, they'd chosen otherplaythings tomake the journey with them to their temporary home.

Towels left toabsorb the water in the basement laysoakedon the floor. Romanosaid it seems like mould growth is imminent, if it hasn't started already.

The water marks left on a wooden shelf in the garage indicate that water had pooled knee-high before the flood abated.Romano said he believes he willneed to tear out his basement and garage, renovate and replace everything.

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They're grateful to their friends for offering them a place to say, but Bronstein said she knows they're imposing still,she's hoping the arrangement works out for just a little while longer.

The problem is that while the water has receded from their home, outside, everything is still wet.

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"If we want to try to clean up, we have to move everything outside, and outside is wet," Romano explained.

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