2021 Storm Recovery

Clubhouse: The clubhouse was flooded, with a high watermark 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.

Pool: Debris covered the pool deck, but fortunately, the deck 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.

Lake: We have coordinated with Cobb County Storm Water Management, Erosion Control, and GDOT to assess the damage was done and seek assistance in remediations. Our primary concern is that Somerset should not be responsible for the stormwater 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.

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

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:

• Home builders 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!

Donations are greatly appreciated. Please make all checks out to SHOA. Checks can be mailed to 3417 Turtle Cove Court, Marietta, GA 30067 or placed in the mailbox by the clubhouse gate.

Donations may also be made through Venmo (@SomersetHoa: Last 4 digits 8620).