community and changed the course of MY life. I have read your posts with much interest about the state of affairs on the Gulf Coast, and the recovery situation. I would like to tell you not about others,but about what I struggled with.
I lived 9 miles inland from any body of water, Pensacola had not expierenced a Direct Hit from a Hurricane in my lifetime, so lets say I was naieve as to what havac a Natural disaster could bring. Once you live through 9 hours of the wind ripping and tearing, and the sounds of trees snapping and crashing and falling, all of this happening in total darness and sweltering heat, you emerge at daylight to take a look around, NOTHING prepares you for what you see, I can only liken it to a war zone that you see on tv of a recently bombed town. Your senses are in shock, nothing looks familiar because all the landmarks that you have known are gone.
Your phone does not work, your cell phone does not work, you cant get in your car and drive away because the roads are not cleared. It is Hot, so hot, that you feel like you cant possibly breathe, can't take a shower or turn the water hose on, because their is no water, you can't close the doors and windows in your house because you would roast.
You can't really get out and walk around because of the amount of scary debris laying everywhere and then their are the downed power lines. You hope all your loved ones are ok, because you can't communicate with them. You can't go to the store and buy a cold coke, #1. you cant get there and #2.they don't have electricity either. You go outside to check the damage, you are stunned at how much damage you have and in my case, I had 17 trees down with 2 on top of what used to be the east side of my house.
You hunker down, check and make sure food supplies are ok and the ice in the coolers are holding and hope to heck you have enough food and water to make it. I made a "nest" in the undamaged part of my house, put me a blanket some pillows and a cooler and flash light and batteries and a 12 gauge all within my reach.. Why the 12 gauge? Remember its 98' and the Humidity is 85% and you cant close and lock the doors. Am I scared at night...you bet cha, I am up and down all night, listening and checking things. During the day you are outside trying to secure whats left of your house and maybe help out some others in you neighborhood, what you wouldn't do for a good ole bath and an Ice cold drink, the Ice in your cooler is gone by the 3rd day.
During this time you are steadily listening to the portable radio for any kind of news about your town and wether or not help is comeing, guess what? All you can get is some staticy news from another near by town...60 miles away. Nothing is comeing from your town, all communications are down. This goes on for weeks and weeks, finally they get some electricity restored in a few areas a few cell phones come back up and some of the major roadways are cleared of trees. I find out that the building that housed my business is destroyed, oh well I certainly did not need a steady paycheck! Your everday life is nothing as it used to be, now that the roads are cleared you can drive out..right? wrong....theirs this issue of Gasoline, theirs not any to be had. So you sit and wait, and wait, and wait, takeing care of yourself as best you can. It was truly a nightmare!
Hurricane Ivan came ashore in Sept. It destroyed our town, it damaged my House, it took out my livlihood, and I NEVER saw a FEMA person nor a represenative from my Ins. company for 4 months. Finally after 4 months my Ins person came out, surveyed the damage, appraised the damage, said I had 44 thousand dollars worth of damage to my house and informed me of what they were not going to cover. Even though I had paid Hurricane Insurance in the form of an Extra premium for years and years, not covered, not covered, not coverded. Well ok at least they were going to send a check for 44 thousand to cover the damage to the house so I can at least get that fixed. 9 weeks later I got that check.....It was for 16 thousand. What the Heck? 6 months later I got a check for another 11 thousand after I pushed and fought and lived with a leaky smelly house, it took me a year and a half to just get the damn tree removed and that side of the house fixed. It took me 3 years and 2 days to settle with my Insurance Company and to get my House repaired, I was stressed and exhausted, and It should not have been that way, I paid my premiums to a Major top 3 company and had for 25+, they should have setteled up. On my Homeowners Renewal date 1 year after the Hurricane, my Insurance went up 800% (public record) on the second Renewal date it went up another 300%, keep in mind that I lost the bulding my business was housed in, was working for someone else makeing way less money, liveing in a leaky smelly house getting the repairs done as quickly as possible, Paying a Mortgage payment, ridiculously High Homeowners Ins and they had not even finished paying me for my claim.. Talk about frustrating. Finally after 3 years and 2 days all was settled, the Houserepairs were scheduled and I was ready to relax after 3 years of fighting, NOT TO BE....the 3rd year Renewal Bill came in..."Sorry to inform you we, are no longer writing Homeowners Insurance along the Gulf Coast, please be advised that your Current policy will not be renewed....... I cried, said F#@ it, got the House repaired and SOLD it and moved to North Alabama, leaveing behind everything that was near and dear to me.
This is what Happened to me....I am sure I am not unique in this situation. Oh and one other thing....someone said they would have not stayed on top of a bridge stranded, they would walk out....did I forget to mention that during this mayhem Marshall Law is declared and the National Guard is called in and if you move about where you are not suppose to...they have orders to shoot?
posted by nailz
7 months ago
I can relate nailz, that same year, my neighborhood was hit by Charlie, Francis, and Jeanne.. The only help we got was neighbors helping neighbors. We cleared our roads, we policed our neighborhood keeping the looters out. We survived, no thanks to FEMA.
Yikes ! What a story. Readers Digest would like your story. And why wasn't the national guard shooting all the looters in New Orleons? Anyway, You really hung in there alot more than I would. Way too much stress.
Wow Nailz, what a story! I have heard so many Ivan stories like that since I moved to P-cola.
Even though I was in Frances and Jeanne in West Palm Beach, in Sept, 2004, then Katrina in N.O. and Wilma in W.P.B in 2005, I have always been fortunate enough to make it through unscathed (Katrina was the closest I've come to your story).
My heart goes out to all of you who lost so much. Of course we did get caught in the insurance increases.
I agree, I never saw a FEMA person. Wait, yes I did, but I was not eligible for any help, even from MEMA. I paid inusrance premiums for years also. I got 16,000, BUT they withheld 3,000 until I did some work on my house. Now, getting your house worked on after a hurricane is just insane, People come out of the wood work and promise all sorts of things but they are not bonded or anything. They are mainly handy men who come to make money. I was lucky to have a son who could help me.
What I did find reassuring was all the churches who opened kitchens and clinics etc and all FREE. You just walked in and you were helped. In some neighborhoods some people drove around in vans with hot food dishes to help the people who could not get out.
And, yes. the absolutely worse thing is the heat afterwards. There is no breeze. Nothing to help keep you cool. Unless you have a generator. During Katrina, I went to stay with my daughter who lives in Baton Rouge. She lived in a small complex and there was one man who had a generator. Believe me. there was lots of plotting going on each evening when he came in and turned on his window a/c.
OH, and the food. You eat lots of sandwiches. Potted meat seems to be the hurricane meat of choice. But, just after the hurricane neighbors get together and bbq things before they ruin.
Thanks for sharing your story. It certainly gave me a new view on what people who lived through a disaster have experienced. It also gave me a new reason to despise insurance companies!
You painted a vivid description for me. I feel so bad this happened and your hardship lasted for so long. Physically and emotionally draining too many ups and downs. I'm glad you got your house repaired and were able to sell it and move to another state. I wish you well and continued health
