Gloucester residents say town should help cover cost of flood-damaged cars

GLOUCESTER, Mass. -- Many Gloucester residents whose cars were totaled by flooding during the snowstorm Thursday are struggling to get their damage covered.

The historic high tide during the first nor’easter of 2018 overwhelmed Gloucester’s lowest-lying areas, including the high school parking lot, one of the municipal parking lots the city instructed residents to park in to get their cars off the roads and make room for plows.

Ali Zwemke, who lives nearby, parked her car in the lot only to receive a call from a friend informing her the lot was flooding. When she arrived, her car was totaled.

“She was like, ‘You need to move your car now.’ And by the time I got there, it was up to my mirrors. And I drive a Honda Pilot. So that’s like five feet,” Zwemke said. “The electrical shorted, so my windows were all rolled down. The snow was in them, and it was too late.”

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Zwemke’s insurance policy only covers her for liability, for a total loss. She believes the city should be responsible for at least some of her financial burden.

“My personal opinion is if the city knew that that could’ve possibly been flooded, we should’ve never been able to park there,” Zwemke said. “I know that they had no idea it was going to come, and it’s really no one’s fault, and it’s an act of God or weather-related, but still I’m kind of in a situation where it kind of sucks.”

Boston 25 News reached out to Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, but did not receive a call back Tuesday.

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She did, however release a statement Monday, saying in part, “my administration recognizes that many are in need of assistance as a result of the damage caused by last week’s storm—specifically those who lost their cars due to the flooding of the High School parking lot.”

“The City is willing to work with those who do not have comprehensive insurance to make arrangements for towing, storage and/or disposal of damaged cars,” Mayor Romeo Theken continued, also offering the names of four car dealerships willing “to work with those negatively affected by last week’s flooding.”

But Zwemke said that offer isn’t enough.

“I really don’t have $1,000, $20,000 to put down for a car right now,” Zwemke said. “It’s not money up front for the people who are at total loss. It’s just putting them to automotive groups.”

City councilors gathered for their scheduled meeting at City Hall Tuesday night, but declined to speak about the flooding. The issue was not on the agenda.

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