Drought costs homeowners as foundations crack

Last summer, Susan Recker and her husband, Robert, were fortunate to avoid severe flooding at their lake home just off of Lake Manawa in Council Bluffs. As levees strained and rain continued to come in waves, Recker thought for sure that they were going to lose the house. But the floods were held at bay and the house remained intact. That is, until this summer. Months of heat and drought that scorched much of the Midlands this summer took its toll on the Reckers’ second home on the lake. In late July, Susan spotted a significant crack in the home’s foundation. From inside a crawl space, the crack was wide enough that a sliver of light shone through.