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Oakland students in tears after getting flooded out of apartment
Dozens of students from the Oakland Unified School District and their families are asking for help after their apartment complex was flooded.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Dozens of students from the Oakland Unified School District, and their families, have no permanent place to live or cook after their apartment complex was flooded in the recent storms.
The families live at the Coliseum Connections apartments, across from the Coliseum BART station.
Power has been turned off due to severe flooding in the basement.
So far, they say they haven't been allowed back to their apartments.
KTVU reached out to the apartment managers, but so far, have not heard back.
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Speaking through tears, 5th grader Sureneity Mendez Abendano described the mess.
"All the water was flooding," he said Thursday. "And the garage, it looks like it was a river."
His mother, Faviola Abendano, said that they haven't been told when they can return.
Oakland Tech High School assistant basketball coach Jasmine Braggs also lives at the flooded apartment complex.
"This experience has been traumatizing," she said. "People are in tears, not knowing because we’re not getting any clear information. We are feeling displaced, unheard, and uncomfortable."
The families are being housed at the Courtyard Marriott, but they say there is nowhere for them to cook or do laundry.
In addition, the building’s underground parking flooded, likely totaling numerous cars, and cutting off power to the entire building, OUSD said in a statement.
"You have to see it. It’s really bad," Braggs said. "Some of these parents, they’re not eating. They don’t know if they should pay their rent. We’re feeling no compassion. That was our New Year’s, and there was no care."
In the days since, OUSD said that people have stepped up with food and other help, but they need a lot more assistance.
The displaced residents number in the hundreds, and about 40 families have OUSD students, mostly attending Oakland Academy of Knowledge and Burckhalter Elementary.
Some of the children are younger than school age, and one displaced mother is also pregnant and ready to give birth any day.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED: To donate to the families' Meal Train fundraising page, visit this website.