Fayetteville Today

First, there was the difficulty with finding toilet paper because people were hoarding it; then, inflation kicked in; now, the country is still seeing delays when it comes to household and utility repairs. Mostly, it’s the fallout from COVID-19.

While you might be able to find workarounds for some of the problems, the long turnaround time in fixing broken utilities is another matter, making life difficult for those affected. 

Recently, a breaker box malfunction at the Claredon House in Fayetteville meant its residents were without power for a week, leaving residents scurrying for alternatives.

"It's the state of everything now,” Tom Lloyd, president of the Claredon House’s homeowners association told WRAL. 

One of those left in the dark was Sulema Shelton, who had to stay with her family in Apex for a week and throw out all her food out. 

Some residents stayed in hotels, while others had no choice but to stay in their apartments. One 92-year-old woman stayed at her apartment without power for a week, her family told WRAL.

The problem in this case was that the building’s electrician couldn’t order a new breaker. He instead had to track down a refurbished one that would sync up with the 50-year-old system. While the apartment building has a back-up generator, it did no good because it had to use that particular breaker, Lloyd told the TV station.’

All to come out of this wasn’t bad. Shelton said the crisis brought out the best in people. "My neighbors are all very nice. We try to help each other,” she said.

Lloyd confirmed that, saying everyone chipped in where they could. "Daily we worked trying to find people places to go, if they needed it,” he said.

The homeowners association is also even considering possibly reimbursing the residents for their hotel bills, WRAL reported.