HOUSTON – Here at KPRC 2, we’re committed to saving you time and money, but more importantly, we are committed to listening to you. Peggi Stewart sent an email to our 2 Helps You after hitting a pothole on Meadowglen Lane near Hayes Road.
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“I drove over more than a pothole—it’s more like a crater—that caused two tires to blow out and bent one of my rims,” Stewart said.
Hundreds of dollars—that’s what Stewart paid to have her car towed after hitting a pothole and blowing out two tires on Meadowglen Lane. And this pothole was so big, I needed an extra-large ruler to measure it!
Here in Houston, potholes top the list of complaints on the city’s 311 website. As a meteorologist, I’m not shocked since heat and rainfall both play a role in the deterioration of our roadways.
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This means Stewart is not the only one who’s hit a bump and paid big bucks to fix pothole damage.
While the city does have a goal to repair most potholes within 48 hours of a report, I think this is when a lot of drivers give up—and honestly, I don’t blame them. But I thought it would be interesting to see the claim process through—to find out for ourselves in real-time how, or if, the process works. So, here’s what we’re going to do, and I want to share the process with you—in case it happens to you.
First, take pictures—not only of your car but of the roadway, too. Here are Peggi’s pictures.
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Next, you have to file a claim within 90 days at houstontx.gov . You’re going to need very specific things, like:
- Three property damage estimates
- Pictures
- A notarized letter, to name a few.
KPRC 2 will continue to update you on the process of filing a claim and how it goes. Meantime, you can check out the full list and file your claim by going to the City of Houston’s website.