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Sinkhole opens up outside Chandler home, sending water pouring into basement

Posted at 9:46 PM, Aug 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-14 02:11:20-04

Last week's huge monsoon storm still has Valley families cleaning up, especially those whose homes flooded.

One Chandler family had more than 500 gallons of water soak their basement after a sinkhole opened up outside their home--and they say their insurance company is not covering the $40,000 bill. 

"I've never felt so helpless in my entire life," said Andrew Hill. 

He says a window shattered in his basement last Tuesday night and a sinkhole brought water flowing into the window well and into the home.

"The  water was probably 6 to 9 inches high," Hill estimated. 

The water moved fast, bringing mud with it, as it spread down the hall into the bedrooms.

"What was heartbreaking was seeing our children's toys, floating through it," said Hill.

Friday, the cleanup continued into the tenth straight night. The sinkhole was filled. The flooring was ripped up. The drywall was cut out.

But now the family is dealing with the mounting costs of the damage and repairs that totaled $40,000.

Their insurance company, USAA, says they won't cover it because they didn't have flood insurance. 

"You can say the basement was flooded, using that term loosely," said Hill. "But really, it was a sinkhole that was created, some sort of structural damage."

The Hill family will continue to fight the insurance company, but for now they're glad no one was hurt in the huge mess and that the water is finally gone.