‘It just wasn’t enough’: Pipe break leaves family without water for days

Be prepared: CSRA winter weather guide

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced he’s extending the state of emergency because of the winter weather we’re seeing.

Homeowners are trying to find the parts they need to fix busted and frozen pipes. We found a lot of frustrated people looking for quick fixes.

Frozen pipes, no water, leaking pipes, and busted wells make for thousands of dollars worth of damage across the two-state.

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A lot of people tell us they took all precautions, but it wasn’t enough. Brian Yohe with Yohe Plumbing Heating and Air says his phone’s been ringing off the hook.

“We probably caught around 45. Saturday was the main day,” he said.

Forty-five calls in a day, and he’s afraid that’s just the tip of the iceberg as we start to thaw out.

“The truth started coming out a little more Sunday. Came out more today, Monday, as pipes start dethawing, that’s what people find out they’re busted,” said Yohe.

Frantic calls from people like Jonelle Windham.

“I did the precautions that everyone said. I had my faucets dripping. You know, it just wasn’t enough,” she said.

A new water well wasn’t on her Christmas list this year until the freezing temps hit her South Carolina home Friday night.

“My daughter went to go take a shower around let’s say 9:30, 10 o’clock and she’s like mom, ‘the water is not going on, what’s going on’,” she said.

When Windham checked the well outside the next morning, she discovered the issue.

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“I went out there, and I, you know, got my blow dryer and ran the cord, and I was trying to heat the pipes, and as I looked closer into my well, I saw that it was cracked, and it was all filled with ice. It completely burst,” she said.

Now she’s on day four with no water.

“It’s still busted right now. I’ve had no luck getting a plumber out here for three days. It’s day four,” she said.

She’s not alone. The plumbing aisle at Lowe’s on Peach Orchard Road was packed. Everyone searching for the same quick fixes.

“They were out of the lamps. I went to Home Depot. I went to Walmart. Everybody a matter of fact, I saw one man at Walmart in the same aisle looking for the bulb, and then I saw him at Lowe’s. Everyone was looking for the same things. Nobody had it,” said Windham.

She’s having to improvise and use her pool to flush her toilet.

“I have a sink full of dishes because I can’t wash them,” she said.

Plumbers say to be patient if you’re dealing with damage because they’re working overtime and as fast as they can.

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