Residents of Dean Estates who were flooded out of their homes last Monday will not be returning anytime soon.

According to Casey Medas, property manager, it will be a long time before crews have cleaned out and remedied the heavy damage caused by a flash flooding incident that left 48 units uninhabitable.

The complex, deemed unsafe by city building officials at this time, has never had a flood event of this magnitude in the past.

“Even during the flooding in 2010, when the Warwick Mall flooded,” said Medas. “We only had about an inch of water in the parking lot. Monday’s flooding was as high as the top of that pickup truck.”

The complex received a deluge of water from behind the complex, pouring off the hill and bike path behind, as well as from a “Niagra Falls” like effect pouring off the wall on the other side of Oaklawn Avenue.

“The entire basement – 10 feet down was full. The water came up from the basement and filled the first floor,” Medas said while showing the destruction caused by the flash flood event.

“It was 15 minutes. The water came in. It was 15 minutes.”

Watermarks along the walls and doors of the first floor apartments were as high as six feet off the floor.

“It came off that wall across the street, like a tsunami,” he said. “It blew everything. It blew our windows. It blew our doors. No one can live here – 48 units.”

Stanley Pikul, director of building inspection, concurred.

“To date, I can tell you that they sent their people in for demo permits on the 5th,” he said. “We have allowed them to do the demolition under direction of their construction engineer.”

Pikul inspected the property after waters had receded and the basement area cleared.

“We couldn’t get in there right away,” he said. “There was a collapse in one structure and we had to make sure it was safe to allow people back in to collect their belongings.”

Residents were allowed in but under limited circumstances with limited access.

“Due to the collapsed portion of the first floor and general flood damage, we had to post the lower level and rear stairway as unsafe,” said Pikul. “We allowed limited ingress and egress through the front under the supervision of management. No one will be allowed to reside there until all construction is complete and the inspection process is complete.”

Medas said that the property owners were working hard to ensure that all residents had housing.

“We have returned security deposits and September’s rent,” he said. “I know the home office was working hard to get the money to the residents. Many property managers have come forward to help out and Verizon was onsite to help, too.”

Displaced residents received help from numerous agencies, including the Comprehensive Community Action Program (CCAP).

“We have helped or talked to almost all of the families,” said Joanne McGunagle, executive director at CCAP. “We have about eight active families that we are helping with housing needs now. We provided assistance with food, clothing and housing. Some of the housing funding, through the Red Cross, has run out and we are assisting those families.”

According to McGunagle, most of the 75 individuals displaced have found housing or are residing with friends and family.

“We are here to help. As long as they need us, we will be here to help them,” she said.