FORT WORTH, Texas — Some North Texas families like James and Beverly Nimkey are trying to figure out their next steps after the unexpected happened inside the walls of their home. 

Some of their furniture and personal belongings are soaked after flooding over the Christmas weekend. The warm-up after the cold snap in North Texas left the Nimkeys’ home a wet mess.

The couple returned home and after an hour of relaxing, they got a surprise neither of them saw coming. It all started with a sound that let Beverly know what was coming next. 

“I heard this pop sound. I looked up and it was in my ceiling, and all this water just started flowing,” said Beverly Nimkey. “It just busted, just like that.”

The longtime couple only rented the apartment as their building completes construction on their new home. They have lived in other parts of the country due to their careers, but they love living in Texas.

Fortunately, because water flooded their apartment last year too, again they got renters insurance unlike some of their flooded-out neighbors. So last week when they heard about Texas going below freezing, they prepared and followed advice from the experts.

“We turned on the faucet, and let it drip. We did all that and followed the instructions, but this happened,” said Beverly Nimkey.

Since the pipes burst in their upscale Mansfield apartment, the couple has been staying in a hotel. 

But it’s déjà vu for the Nimkeys because the same thing happened in 2021 during the winter storm. Since renters insurance is reasonably affordable, they are not concerned about most of their belongings. 

However, some of their furniture is imported, so replacing it will be almost impossible.

“We are not materialistic people,” said Beverly Nimkey, “but we bought some of our furniture in Japan and I am not planning on traveling there anytime soon.”

Burst pipes due to freezing has happened to so many North Texas families that plumbers like Aubrey Wynn are answering service calls all over DFW. 

Wynn told WFAA that when Texas temperatures get anywhere near freezing, you must be vigilant no matter what type of piping you have at home.

“I have been all around Dallas, Fort Worth, Keller,” said Wynn. “You will always have water in your pipes unless you turn it off and drain it. The water that stays in that pipe will freeze up.”

Just like Nimkeys, plumbers warn people to be prepared for the unexpected.

“You need to know where that water meter is, and how to turn it off,” said Wynn. 

“Insurance is very, very, crucial,” Beverly Nimkey said.