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Senior residents hoping to salvage belongings left behind in flooded apartment

This week, residents of Magnolia Senior Apartments in Charlotte will get to go inside their units for the first time since they were flooded Christmas day.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Three weeks after more than 80 elderly residents were displaced from Magnolia Senior Apartments, they’ll finally get to go inside their homes to get their belongings.

Residents have been pleading to get inside their homes here for weeks, but management said it wasn’t safe to do so. Starting Tuesday, they’ll finally get to grab their things and assess the damage. 

"I don’t have any clothes, so I have to buy socks, a hairbrush, everything," resident Denise Watson shared with WCNC Charlotte.

After a pipe burst on Christmas Day, residents worry a lot of their stuff is ruined but they won’t know the extent of water damage until they get inside.  

“My hope tomorrow is that my things will be salvageable,” Watson shared.  

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Residents have been in hotels since they were evacuated, many not knowing how they're going to eat or get medication. 

"We still have seniors who still need clothes, they need food, personal hygiene, they need money to get their medicines," Janette Kinard explained.

Kinard, who runs Champion House of Care, and Willis Draughn Jr. of Be You Be Great have been helping the seniors navigate this tough situation. 

“We looking for storage space, we’re also looking for long-term and short-term residential space,” Draughn Jr. added. 

Magnolia management doesn’t know when repairs will be done and people can move back in, saying it could be as long as nine months. 

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Owner Bill Bolstad told WCNC Charlotte that 50 out of the 80 units are damaged. Out of the 50 that need repairs, there are nine that are severely impacted. 

“We’re talking to them about whether we might need to terminate the lease," Bolstad said about the nine residents. "I don’t know if we need to go that far, but it’s possible we might need to. So, we’re having those conversations with them now.” 

Champion House of Care and Be You Be Great are looking for volunteers to help residents collect their things on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. 

Both organizations say to reach them through their websites, which are linked above. Champion House of Care can also be reached at 704-579-5230.

Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on FacebookTwitter and Instagram. 

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