South Lake Drive rebuilds after August explosion

Since an Aug. 11 natural gas explosion that blew apart the Harold Pundsack home on North Lake Drive, homeowners on every side have felt like tornado victims. At least nine houses received damage and more damage is being discovered every day. In recent days the neighborhood has begun to rebuild. The new home of Becky Korbar which faces South Madison Street and was directly behind the Pundsack home is being built by Goldman Construction Co. of Pinckneyville. The only major difference is the new home is getting a sun porch.

Barb and Bob Conte (whose home is directly south of the Pundsack site) will see construction begin Monday on their new attached garage. The couple, which still remembers their 1979 garage fire, had just replaced the roof in recent months and the large picture window on the front of the house that will have to be replaced again because of the damage from the explosion.

Homes across the street remain boarded up as homeowners continue to get estimates and work with their insurance companies. Even though it was the Pundsack explosion that destroyed and damaged neighboring homes, homeowners say it is their own insurance which is paying for the repairs. It is too early to know if they can subrogate their losses with the Pundsack homeowners insurance carrier. Right now, they just want to be made whole again. Mr. Pundsack died in the explosion that could be heard as far away as Elkville, Christopher and Rend Lake.