Man enters red-tagged Napa home, more damage caused
NAPA, Calif. (KGO) -- Thursday night a man had to be rescued from inside his red-tagged home after it started to crumble and he spoke exclusively to ABC7 News. He ignored the red tag and wanted to retrieve a special item.
Robert Lewis Tyler said, "As I was up there, I grabbed a German helmet, World War II, worth $5,000 and the clothes on my back. And finally, boom, it went off you know to the right more. It fell down another 18 inches lower."
Next door neighbor Gigi Kushman feared it was another earthquake. She said, "We just heard the crackle, crackle, and then whoosh boom. I came out the back door so I just saw the cloud of dust."
Then neighbors noticed Tyler's bike in the rubble and called for help. Firefighters rescued him through the window and Tyler received a ticket for trespassing.
Officials marked the adjacent homes with red tags, knowing they'd be compromised if the Victorian collapsed.
Neighbor Leonard Kushman just recovered from quadruple bypass surgery. The red tag on his door means he is moving in with his son. Family members tossed mattresses in a truck, while PG&E removed gas meters.
400 households in Napa still without water; Crews continue repairs
Water service is still an issue in some parts of Napa, but repairs are underway, a sign that life is somewhat getting back to normal in Napa.
Sunday's 6.0 magnitude South Napa Earthquake cracked water mains all around the city, leaving thousands without water. As of Thursday afternoon, only about 400 of the city's 25,000 thousand customers are now without service. Crews still have about 45 water main breaks to repair.
Residents on Harrison Street in Napa say a mini river has been running, since Sunday's earthquake.
"I noticed the whole entire week there's been water leaking out through this entire street," said Napa resident Ventura Vega. "I thought they had fixed it. Apparently not. Luckily, for us, we still have water."
As part of a mutual aid agreement, water departments from all over the Bay Area and Northern California are were there to help including fiver crews from East Bay Municipal Utility District.
"You don't plan to have so much of your infrastructure affected all at once," said Barry Martin, a spokesperson for the City of Napa. "You only plan for that in the sense of emergency planning. That's why these mutual aid agreements are in place so other agencies are ready to step in and help to get this resolution."
For those who still don't have working service at home, Napa Valley College is making its locker room showers available to those who want to clean up.
As crews try to restore water to residents, engineers and homeowners are assessing the condition of homes, businesses and other buildings around Napa.
Napa tackles damage done to buildings
So far the number of red-tagged buildings has grown to 170 and the county has estimated damage to the region totals more than $362 million dollars.
Napa city officials say the debris scooped up since this earthquake weighs in at 2.6 million pounds and counting.
That debris is made up of broken picture frames, crumbled fireplaces and pieces of people's homes and even though this is a hard time for those people, Napa is coming together to make sure they have somewhere to go.
Angela Larson and her boyfriend are now without a place to call home after Sunday's earthquake severely damaged their house on Georgia Street,the place they lived for the past three years.
It's now red-tagged after suffering some major damage from the earthquake.
They're moving things out, even though red tagged homes are considered dangerous, and should not be entered.
"You know I appreciate the tourists and the wine industry more than anybody, but the regular people that make this town," Larson said.
Larson is staying with family now.
VIDEO: The Napa Earthquake has left dozens homeless
While others in the same boat are hunkering down in motels and at the Red Cross emergency shelter.
"The number has gone up," said Red Cross communications specialist, Pooja Trivedi. "That may just be because they city has been going through and doing their checks. but some families are realizing they may not have water."
Thirty-six people stayed Wednesday night and 90 have been housed in both Napa and Vallejo since Sunday.
The shelter provides cots, food, showers and computers.
Volunteers step up to help South Napa Quake victims
Many families lost food they'd stored because it either spilled during the earthquake or spoiled because they lost their electricity. Others turned to the food bank because they're short on cash after the disaster.
Volunteers at the Napa County Food Bank are filling shopping bags for families in need after the earthquake.
"My husband hasn't been able to work because of the earthquake, fixing the house and that's money that could go to food but we're getting food and this is great," said Marisol Gutierrez, a Napa earthquake victim.
"We've served over 70 families within an hour and a half," said Karen Neil, assistant director of the Napa County Food Bank. "It was pretty amazing. Our volunteers are absolutely fabulous."
The Food Bank is crediting the people in the Napa Area with donating both groceries and money to help feed people.
Help donate to quake victims and Give Where You Live.
