A September Storm Severely Impacted Somerset Subdivision:

On Tuesday, September 7, into the early morning hours of Wednesday, September 8, an intense storm hit Somerset that caused extensive damage to our community, our amenities, and a number of houses in the subdivision.

Immediately Wednesday morning, neighbors reached out to one another and to our community to assess the impact of the storm and to start the arduous process of cleaning up and commencing with repair work. 

Our sincere thanks go out to all those who have already so generously given their time and effort to start the work of recovery.  

We do, however, have a long and expensive road ahead. All of us have a stake in this process. The quality of life of all residents in Somerset and the property values in our subdivision depend now on all of us pulling together to make and finance the necessary remediation as soon as possible.

Listed below is a summary of the challenges facing Somerset and the initial steps already taken on the road to recovery.

Damage and Assessment:

Clubhouse: The clubhouse was flooded, with a high water mark roughly three feet high on the outside of the building. Needless to say, there is extensive water damage to the interior of the building.  The day after the flood, neighbors came together to help tear out the water-logged furniture, damaged carpet, baseboards, insulation, and drywall.  

One neighbor provided commercial grade fans and dehumidifiers to assist in the drying out of the wood studs and kitchen cabinets. A few days later, volunteers removed the built-in cabinets in the community room together with any remaining drywall. 

The next few steps will include preparing the walls for new insulation and drywall, a microbial spray for mold prevention, then finishing work such as flooring and trim. Somerset is saving a significant amount of money in labor expenses by having neighbors contribute their time. 

We will be providing a sign up opportunity for those who want to help with the renovation. The clubhouse renovation is estimated to cost around $10,000 of which the majority will be covered by our reserves.

SHOA has requested estimates from remediation firms for work that residents are unable to complete. Our insurance company, Nationwide, has rejected our claim for damages caused by by the storm.

Clubhouse: The clubhouse was flooded, with a high water mark roughly three feet high on the outside of the building. Needless to say, there is extensive water damage to the interior of the building.  The day after the flood, neighbors came together to help tear out the water-logged furniture, damaged carpet, baseboards, insulation, and drywall.  

One neighbor provided commercial grade fans and dehumidifiers to assist in the drying out of the wood studs and kitchen cabinets. A few days later, volunteers removed the built-in cabinets in the community room together with any remaining drywall. 

The next few steps will include preparing the walls for new insulation and drywall, a microbial spray for mold prevention, then finishing work such as flooring and trim. Somerset is saving a significant amount of money in labor expenses by having neighbors contribute their time. 

We will be providing a sign up opportunity for those who want to help with the renovation. The clubhouse renovation is estimated to cost around $10,000 of which the majority will be covered by our reserves.

SHOA has requested estimates from remediation firms for work that residents are unable to complete. Our insurance company, Nationwide, has rejected our claim for damages caused by by the storm.

Parking Lot: Debris and dirt covered the parking lot. SHOA rented a dumpster and others have been clearing the lot, removing rocks, placing acceptable debris from the clubhouse and parking lot in the dumpster, and sweeping the lot.

Bridge to Parking Lot: SHOA will arrange for a civil engineer to assess the damage to the bridge infrastructure —if any, to assess the safety of its continued use, and to provide an estimate for necessary repairs.

The bridge appears functional for now but it is approaching end of life or rehabilitation. We are seeking relief from Cobb County because we do not have the resources (financial or otherwise) to remedy the spillway ourselves. 

The Army Corps of Engineers have been contacted but have not responded. 

 

Pool: Debris covered the pool deck, but fortunately, the desk furniture was not damaged. Neighborhood volunteers have completely cleared the pool deck. The pool was filled with muddy storm run-off.  It will have to be drained, cleaned, re-plastered (after removal of the waterline tile), and then refilled. The estimated cost for this work is $43,000, some of which will be covered by funds in the pool budget. The pool management company has not yet determined if the flooded pumps are still operative.. The remedial work should be completed before winter frosts set in.

Tennis Courts: 

Both tennis courts were covered in gravel, sand, and other debris, damaging the sensitive surface. 

The courts were cleaned last On the Saturday following the storm, the courts were cleared by neighborhood volunteers, who took care to minimize any additional impact on the surface. 

It appears that several of the cracks are larger on the courts, and we will likely need to resurface the courts soon. The courts were resurfaced seven years ago, they generally should be resurfaced every five to seven years, and it was already something we were planning to do soon. The cost of resurfacing the courts ranges from $6,000-$8,000.

Courts are now usable but access is paused until the bridge and parking lot are inspected.

 

 

Spillway: The rock retaining wall along the spillway along the parking lot has crumbled in several places and will have to be rebuilt or replaced. In the meantime, protective safety barriers are in place. 

SHOA is attempting to establish contact with the US Corps of Engineers and Cobb County to explore which entities are responsible for stormwater management and the failure of the dam that caused the violent flooding of the spillway.

Damage and Assessment:

Clubhouse: The clubhouse was flooded, with a high water mark roughly three feet high on the outside of the building. Needless to say, there is extensive water damage to the interior of the building.  The day after the flood, neighbors came together to help tear out the water-logged furniture, damaged carpet, baseboards, insulation, and drywall.  

One neighbor provided commercial grade fans and dehumidifiers to assist in the drying out of the wood studs and kitchen cabinets. A few days later, volunteers removed the built-in cabinets in the community room together with any remaining drywall. 

The next few steps will include preparing the walls for new insulation and drywall, a microbial spray for mold prevention, then finishing work such as flooring and trim. Somerset is saving a significant amount of money in labor expenses by having neighbors contribute their time. 

We will be providing a sign up opportunity for those who want to help with the renovation. The clubhouse renovation is estimated to cost around $10,000 of which the majority will be covered by our reserves.

SHOA has requested estimates from remediation firms for work that residents are unable to complete. Our insurance company, Nationwide, has rejected our claim for damages caused by by the storm.

Parking Lot: Debris and dirt covered the parking lot. SHOA rented a dumpster and others have been clearing the lot, removing rocks, placing acceptable debris from the clubhouse and parking lot in the dumpster, and sweeping the lot.

Pool: Debris covered the pool deck, but fortunately, the desk furniture was not damaged. Neighborhood volunteers have completely cleared the pool deck. The pool filled with muddy storm run-off.  It will probably have to be drained, cleaned, re-plastered (after removal of the waterline tile), and then refilled. The estimated cost for this work is $43,000, some of which will be covered by funds in the pool budget. The pool management company has not yet determined if the flooded pumps are still operative.. The remedial  work should be completed before winter frosts set in.

Tennis Courts: 

Both tennis courts were covered in gravel, sand and other debris, damaging the sensitive surface. 

The courts were cleaned last On the Saturday following the storm, the courts were cleared by neighborhood volunteers, who took care to minimize  by  minimizing additional impact on the surface. 

It appears that several of the cracks are larger on the courts, and we will likely need to resurface the courts soon. The courts were resurfaced seven years ago, they generally should be resurfaced every five to seven years, and it was already something we were planning to do soon. The cost of resurfacing the courts ranges from $6,000-$8,000.

Courts are now usable but access is paused until the bridge and parking lot are inspected.

Spillway: The rock retaining wall along the spillway along the parking lot has crumbled in several places and will have to be rebuilt or replaced. In the meantime protective safety barriers are in place. 

SHOA is attempting to establish contact with the US Corps of Engineers and Cobb County to explore which entities are responsible for storm water management and the failure of the dam that caused the violent flooding of the spillway.

SHOA has drafted a letter to send to multiple Cobb County agencies asking for their immediate intervention and assistance in repairing the spillway.  A civil engineer who lives in a nearby neighborhood has looked at the spillway and bridge, and his ballpark estimate is at least $250,000.00, up to $1,000,000 or more. 

The bridge appears functional for now but it is approaching end of life or rehabilitation. We are seeking relief from Cobb County because we do not have the resources (financial or otherwise) to remedy the spillway ourselves. 

The Army Corps of Engineers have been contacted but have not responded. 

Volunteer services needed to address these structures: 1) a structural engineer familiar with dams or bridges and 2) persons with local government connections.

Lake: We have coordinated with Cobb County Storm Water Management, Erosion Control, and GDOT to asses the damage done and seek assistance in remediations. Our primary concern is that Somerset should not be responsible for the storm water problems of such a large area surrounding our lake and the extreme amount of additional water and sediment that is being directed to us especially after the recent major county projects in the last few years (new schools, road work, parks). 

The time and services of attorneys have been donated. This is an ongoing process and thus far the county has been out to assess many areas. 

Bridge to Parking Lot: SHOA will arrange for a civil engineer to assess the damage to the bridge infrastructure —if any, to assess the safety of its continued use, and to provide an estimate for necessary repairs.

Next Steps

To the largest extent possible, we would like to call on all Somerset residents and non-resident pool members to use their knowledge, skills, expertise, and enthusiasm to tackle together as many recovery projects as possible. We are looking for people who are willing to give their time, professional expertise, and manpower to this effort. Among others, we are looking for:

  • Homebuilders and contractors
  • Civil engineers
  • Insurance adjusters
  • Attorneys
  • Carpenters
  • Masons
  • Painters
  • People familiar with Cobb County and Georgia government bureaucracies
  • Tennis court resurfacers
  • And, of course, anyone with ideas!

Our sincere thanks go out to all those who have already helped so much with repairing the damage from this devastating storm. With your continued support we shall recover—and be better than ever!

Damage and Assessment:

Clubhouse: The clubhouse was flooded, with a high water mark roughly three feet high on the outside of the building. Needless to say, there is extensive water damage to the interior of the building.  The day after the flood, neighbors came together to help tear out the water-logged furniture, damaged carpet, baseboards, insulation, and drywall.  

One neighbor provided commercial grade fans and dehumidifiers to assist in the drying out of the wood studs and kitchen cabinets. A few days later, volunteers removed the built-in cabinets in the community room together with any remaining drywall. 

The next few steps will include preparing the walls for new insulation and drywall, a microbial spray for mold prevention, then finishing work such as flooring and trim. Somerset is saving a significant amount of money in labor expenses by having neighbors contribute their time. 

We will be providing a sign up opportunity for those who want to help with the renovation. The clubhouse renovation is estimated to cost around $10,000 of which the majority will be covered by our reserves.

SHOA has requested estimates from remediation firms for work that residents are unable to complete. Our insurance company, Nationwide, has rejected our claim for damages caused by by the storm.

Parking Lot: Debris and dirt covered the parking lot. SHOA rented a dumpster and others have been clearing the lot, removing rocks, placing acceptable debris from the clubhouse and parking lot in the dumpster, and sweeping the lot.

Pool: Debris covered the pool deck, but fortunately, the desk furniture was not damaged. Neighborhood volunteers have completely cleared the pool deck. The pool filled with muddy storm run-off.  It will probably have to be drained, cleaned, re-plastered (after removal of the waterline tile), and then refilled. The estimated cost for this work is $43,000, some of which will be covered by funds in the pool budget. The pool management company has not yet determined if the flooded pumps are still operative.. The remedial  work should be completed before winter frosts set in.

Tennis Courts: 

Both tennis courts were covered in gravel, sand and other debris, damaging the sensitive surface. 

The courts were cleaned last On the Saturday following the storm, the courts were cleared by neighborhood volunteers, who took care to minimize  by  minimizing additional impact on the surface. 

It appears that several of the cracks are larger on the courts, and we will likely need to resurface the courts soon. The courts were resurfaced seven years ago, they generally should be resurfaced every five to seven years, and it was already something we were planning to do soon. The cost of resurfacing the courts ranges from $6,000-$8,000.

Courts are now usable but access is paused until the bridge and parking lot are inspected.

Spillway: The rock retaining wall along the spillway along the parking lot has crumbled in several places and will have to be rebuilt or replaced. In the meantime protective safety barriers are in place. 

SHOA is attempting to establish contact with the US Corps of Engineers and Cobb County to explore which entities are responsible for storm water management and the failure of the dam that caused the violent flooding of the spillway.

SHOA has drafted a letter to send to multiple Cobb County agencies asking for their immediate intervention and assistance in repairing the spillway.  A civil engineer who lives in a nearby neighborhood has looked at the spillway and bridge, and his ballpark estimate is at least $250,000.00, up to $1,000,000 or more. 

The bridge appears functional for now but it is approaching end of life or rehabilitation. We are seeking relief from Cobb County because we do not have the resources (financial or otherwise) to remedy the spillway ourselves. 

The Army Corps of Engineers have been contacted but have not responded. 

Volunteer services needed to address these structures: 1) a structural engineer familiar with dams or bridges and 2) persons with local government connections.

Lake: We have coordinated with Cobb County Storm Water Management, Erosion Control, and GDOT to asses the damage done and seek assistance in remediations. Our primary concern is that Somerset should not be responsible for the storm water problems of such a large area surrounding our lake and the extreme amount of additional water and sediment that is being directed to us especially after the recent major county projects in the last few years (new schools, road work, parks). 

The time and services of attorneys have been donated. This is an ongoing process and thus far the county has been out to assess many areas. 

Bridge to Parking Lot: SHOA will arrange for a civil engineer to assess the damage to the bridge infrastructure —if any, to assess the safety of its continued use, and to provide an estimate for necessary repairs.

Next Steps

To the largest extent possible, we would like to call on all Somerset residents and non-resident pool members to use their knowledge, skills, expertise, and enthusiasm to tackle together as many recovery projects as possible. We are looking for people who are willing to give their time, professional expertise, and manpower to this effort. Among others, we are looking for:

  • Homebuilders and contractors
  • Civil engineers
  • Insurance adjusters
  • Attorneys
  • Carpenters
  • Masons
  • Painters
  • People familiar with Cobb County and Georgia government bureaucracies
  • Tennis court resurfacers
  • And, of course, anyone with ideas!

Our sincere thanks go out to all those who have already helped so much with repairing the damage from this devastating storm. With your continued support we shall recover—and be better than ever!

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