Beverly Community Rushes To Aid Of Family Flooded Out Of Home

BEVERLY, MA — Within days of losing nearly everything, Nicole Green said she gained a new appreciation for human kindness in her adopted hometown.

Green moved from Salem to Beverly six years ago and rents a Cabot Street apartment with her husband and three young children. But at nearly midnight a week ago, the walls of that apartment literally came crashing down around her family when a pipe burst and unleashed a torrent of water that soaked through the ceiling and left Green wading through a flood of calf-high brownish water.

"The whole bathroom ceiling fell on my husband," she told Patch Monday of the Nov. 21 ordeal. "All three of my kids were sleeping, and I ran to grab them, and blankets, and anything I can, and then the bedroom ceiling fell on my 2-year-old.

"It was like a typhoon lagoon. It was nuts."

Once the fright and adrenaline of the nightmare sequence subsided, the realization settled in that most everything in the apartment — nearly everything they own — was destroyed.

"I did a walk through and everything was ruined," she said. "Everything is gone. It smelled so bad of mold. It was disgusting."

Green and her family checked into a local hotel and she contacted Beverly Public Schools to let them know that her children may miss a few days of hybrid learning because of the catastrophe.

Within a day, word of her family's dire circumstances spread throughout the Ayers Ryal Side Elementary Parent Teachers Association — and the donations started flowing in without Green even having to ask.

"I just wanted to let them know my kids might be a little out of it when they come back," said Green, whose children are ages 2, 5 and 9. "I wanted to try to set some things up to keep them on as normal a schedule as possible.

"Then it was so overwhelming to get so much support. It has been incredible. I, financially, can't really do stuff right now. So I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart."

Green said she and her family have received messages of support, donations and "so many clothes for all three of my kids."

"People have dropped off food, bought food, gift cards, board games, arts and crafts. I really appreciate all of it."

The Ayers Ryal Side PTO formed a "Meal Train" where people can sign up to volunteer to do something to help the family or make a donation.

Green, who said she her family did not have apartment insurance, was awaiting a timeline on Monday on how extensive the damage is to the building and the timetable for a possible return to her home.

"My kids keep asking me: 'How long are we going to be in a hotel?'" she said. "I think they just want their stuff."

Yet, as challenging as the last week has been in a year that has been tough on everyone, Green said the response from the Beverly community has reassured her of the good things that still exist in the city and the world.

"It's crazy," she said. "I would have never expected anything. Then to get the support of all these people wanting to help.

"My daughter's little friend coming to give her the clothes right off her back. This is amazing what this community has done for us."

(Patch readers wishing to assist the Green family can sign up to do so here.)

Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.