HOUSTON — A Marine Corps veteran in Montgomery County is Standing For Houston by using the Nextdoor app to connect with neighbors who need help after their water pipes burst.
“Adapt and overcome,” is the mantra Cody Bowman lives by. It helped him survive the war in Iraq and is inspiring him to help his neighbors after the historic arctic blast earlier this week. “
“Our houses just aren’t built for this, so nobody was ready,” said Bowman who owns Semper Fi Construction LLC. “It’s probably going to be three weeks to a month before these people start to see normal life again.”
The contractor who lives and works in The Woodlands says he began sourcing material to patch water leaks as soon as he saw sleet and snow were falling in Montgomery County.
“The next day I started posting on Nextdoor, knowing that pipes would burst," Bowman said.
Bowman wrote: "I hope everyone is staying warm! I live in Grogans Point. I’m here to offer my help. I own and operate a construction company, however, for now I’m offering my services free of charge for anyone needing services in the neighborhood. If there are weather related construction issues I can help with, please reach out. Stay warm and safe. 936-900-5039.
"I have received over 100 calls. I’m focusing on getting water back in people homes and am doing my best to help out everyone. If you still need help or I didn’t get back to you, please send me the following text:
Name:
Address:
Description of Problem:
Pictures of problem:"
Bowman is not a licensed plumber, so he’s not working on plumbing issues. He’s only capping water lines and making sure water is turned off properly.
Bowman has stepped in to help neighbors before. He helped more than 60 homeowners remove damaged dry wall and insulation during Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
With the help of fiancé Raquel Fatiuk, Bowman is helping nearly 20 neighbors a day right now. Friday morning he helped Kill Delany.
“I feel like God just sent me this angel,” Delany said. “The fact that when you’re sitting there, screaming, crying when your house is flooding, and somebody answers the phone, it is unbelievable.”
“Oh! By the way, he’s really good," Delany said. "You can have someone who has a great heart and not so many skills. He’s got skills and a great heart.”
David Hand in Arizona is overnighting pipe fittings, and State Farm Insurance agent Michael Burkes in Conroe is donating money.
“If you can’t donate, there’s no harm in that. We will fix it for free and keep going,” Bowman said.
With one last hard freeze forecasted for Friday night, Bowman hopes more supplies are coming soon.
“I know that it’s going to take a lot for this to recover, and I want to make sure that I can do as much as I can to help my community," Bowman said.