Exeter, NH- After recently completing renovations, as well as repairs after the Mother’s Day Storm of less than a year ago, Stockbridge Funeral Home at 141 Epping Road in Exeter, again saw the heavy rains cause flooding to the property due to an ill-equipped culvert at the end of Industrial Drive. A familiar face during the Mother’s Day storm, Stockbridge Funeral Home was featured in television and newspaper reports, with flooding at the business so bad, holes were drilled in the first floor to prevent the building from ripping off it’s foundation. The incapacity of the culvert on Industrial Drive during these two storms has caused Stockbridge Funeral Home nearly $100,000 of damage in less than a year.

“We’ve been through this several times as this point, beginning with the October storm of 1996. The Town of Exeter knew then that the culvert at the end of Industrial Drive just couldn’t handle all the water. Unfortunately, nothing has changed and the ‘too-small’ culvert still had no hope of keeping up with the rain,“ says owner, Daniel Stockbridge.

Stockbridge Funeral Home had only recently completed the final portion of their renovations that were underway during the Mother’s Day Storm, as well as repairs due to last spring’s deluge when the most recent N’or Easter hit. The business’ new entry porch has to be rebuilt because of the damage it sustained during the storm.

“I had hoped that at this point, the Town of Exeter would have addressed this ongoing problem, which they have said is their responsibility. Unfortunately, the culvert remains the same and because of that Stockbridge Funeral Home has had even more property damage, and our tenant’s car was a total loss in this last storm,” stated Stockbridge.

The Exeter Fire Department and the Department of Public Works were able to assist in pumping out the culvert, but those measures are just a band-aid solution to the real problem, even though Stockbridge is grateful for the efforts.

“The help we received from town departments and officials is greatly appreciated. We’re just concerned that, should we get another heavy rain, we’ll be right back where we were- under water,” emphasizes Stockbridge, who has been denied flood insurance because the property does not sit in an identified flood zone. “Even the Town Engineer has confirmed that the town-owned culvert is at the root of our flooding problems during these storms. The only one who seems to disagree with the Town’s assessment is their insurer, who has denied our claim.”

Though, Stockbridge Funeral Home has suffered property damage, the business has worked hard to make repairs in order to operate with as little interruption as possible. The business is currently open for business at its location on Epping Road.

“These storms have been very destructive, but its not the property damage that most concerns me. It’s the loss of business and inconvenience to the families we serve, the personal distress, and how our reputation as a funeral home has suffered. These are things we can’t even put a number on,” says Stockbridge. “We just want the culvert fixed so this doesn’t happen again.”

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