Faulty Flour Silo Turned North Jersey Woman's Home Into A Winter Wonderland
HARRISON, N.J.(CBSNewYork) -- A blanket of white covered a New Jersey woman's backyard this January, but it wasn't snow.
What looked like a winter wonderland was actually the result of a faulty pipe that leaked baking powder all over the woman's home, CBS 2's Alice Gainer explained.
"I came out in the yard and I thought it was snowing," Dorothy Songile said.
It wasn't snow at all, but whole wheat flour that came from a silo sitting just feet from Songile's yard.
"I thought a flock of birds hit the windows. It was such a blast," she said.
The first time it happened was in August. Reps for Tri-State Buns cleaned up some of the mess. Songile said she paid relatives $300 to clean the rest. Tri-State reimbursed her $150 for the cleanup but couldn't give her more because she didn't have a receipt.
This time, Songile has had a hard time getting a response.
She contacted the Health Department who showed up on Monday to check things out, but the department said that this isn't a health issue.
Songile's insurance company told her to contact a cleaning company who gave her a $5,000 estimate.
"The windows, all of the concrete, the garage on four sides, the roof, and to remove the air conditioners, and to replace them because they said that all blew inside of the air conditioners," Songile explained.
Residue on the back door came off easily when CBS 2's cameras were on the scene, but on some parts of the house the task proved to be a bigger challenge.
The cleaning company said that they couldn't help her until the warmer weather arrived, and that they would need a deposit.
Songile was unable to get in touch with the bun company, but had a message for them.
"Clean up your mess and be careful," she said.
Neighbors hope another leak doesn't add to the petrified mess.
CBS 2 was able to get in touch with the owner of Tri-State Buns. He said that a rep will be heading over to get a clean up estimate, and that the mess will be taken care of.
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