Well there is so much going on mind that I don't even know where to begin. We came back on Thursday of last week. After two weeks at my brothers home, we were home sick. So we spent Thursday afternoon packing up and came home. The lights weren't on yet and the weather wasn't cool but we were home. And just to prove He is God, as soon as we started our generator and began to settle in, he turns on the power. We unplugged the generator and rejoiced in the light.
We stood outside with many of our neighbors. All of us with stories or rumors of went on during the storm. Stories of police told to stay during the storm. Their escape to the second floor of our city hall as the waters rose in the first floor during the storm. Stories that our small passed a reform a few months ago that does not allow drop off spots to be set up in our city. But a storm hit and rules couldn't be broken so citizens set up drop off spots in their yards so that those who needed help could get it.
My daughter started school today. She came home with an upset stomach...nerves. As I signed her out, I saw a long list of other kids that left. The nurse that many kids are just nervous. Kids were in class talking about who lost their complete home, who was flooded, who was homeless and who came out okay. In class they filled out forms on where their family stands so that the school could get an idea of what they were dealing with.
Red Cross is amazing. They have been out everyday handing out water, hot meals, smiles and even just "We care and are here". They have been a blessing. If you have never seen them at work...consider yourself lucky. That means you probably have never been in a disaster as big as this. I have been blessed but it is nice to see others here to help those that need help.
All the hand painted signs in the yards. Some serious..."keep out" "residents only, no tourists allowed", "please dont steal what we have left", "thanks for nothing Fema", "Looters will be shot", "small dog, big gun". All with a true meaning. We were there. We contemplated a gun to keep looters from stealing our generator. not so much our generator...things are things...but strangers in my house and possbibly harming my family.
Then there are those signs that just let you know we are going to be okay. "ike can't beat us like Tina" or "yard of the month" (this was in front of a house that had all this debris, trees down...devastated) or a plastic Frosty the Snowman with a life preserver around his neck that read "I survived Ike".
Is it going to take a long time to get back to normal? Yes. Will it be tough? Yes. But we will make it. We will survive and we, as a community, will do whatever it takes to make our community, safe, clean and home again.
Welcome back Seabrook!! We have missed you!!
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Monday, September 29, 2008
First Day Back
Well there is so much going on mind that I don't even know where to begin. We came back on Thursday of last week. After two weeks at my brothers home, we were home sick. So we spent Thursday afternoon packing up and came home. The lights weren't on yet and the weather wasn't cool but we were home. And just to prove He is God, as soon as we started our generator and began to settle in, he turns on the power. We unplugged the generator and rejoiced in the light.
We stood outside with many of our neighbors. All of us with stories or rumors of went on during the storm. Stories of police told to stay during the storm. Their escape to the second floor of our city hall as the waters rose in the first floor during the storm. Stories that our small passed a reform a few months ago that does not allow drop off spots to be set up in our city. But a storm hit and rules couldn't be broken so citizens set up drop off spots in their yards so that those who needed help could get it.
My daughter started school today. She came home with an upset stomach...nerves. As I signed her out, I saw a long list of other kids that left. The nurse that many kids are just nervous. Kids were in class talking about who lost their complete home, who was flooded, who was homeless and who came out okay. In class they filled out forms on where their family stands so that the school could get an idea of what they were dealing with.
Red Cross is amazing. They have been out everyday handing out water, hot meals, smiles and even just "We care and are here". They have been a blessing. If you have never seen them at work...consider yourself lucky. That means you probably have never been in a disaster as big as this. I have been blessed but it is nice to see others here to help those that need help.
All the hand painted signs in the yards. Some serious..."keep out" "residents only, no tourists allowed", "please dont steal what we have left", "thanks for nothing Fema", "Looters will be shot", "small dog, big gun". All with a true meaning. We were there. We contemplated a gun to keep looters from stealing our generator. not so much our generator...things are things...but strangers in my house and possbibly harming my family.
Then there are those signs that just let you know we are going to be okay. "ike can't beat us like Tina" or "yard of the month" (this was in front of a house that had all this debris, trees down...devastated) or a plastic Frosty the Snowman with a life preserver around his neck that read "I survived Ike".
Is it going to take a long time to get back to normal? Yes. Will it be tough? Yes. But we will make it. We will survive and we, as a community, will do whatever it takes to make our community, safe, clean and home again.
Welcome back Seabrook!! We have missed you!! Pin It
We stood outside with many of our neighbors. All of us with stories or rumors of went on during the storm. Stories of police told to stay during the storm. Their escape to the second floor of our city hall as the waters rose in the first floor during the storm. Stories that our small passed a reform a few months ago that does not allow drop off spots to be set up in our city. But a storm hit and rules couldn't be broken so citizens set up drop off spots in their yards so that those who needed help could get it.
My daughter started school today. She came home with an upset stomach...nerves. As I signed her out, I saw a long list of other kids that left. The nurse that many kids are just nervous. Kids were in class talking about who lost their complete home, who was flooded, who was homeless and who came out okay. In class they filled out forms on where their family stands so that the school could get an idea of what they were dealing with.
Red Cross is amazing. They have been out everyday handing out water, hot meals, smiles and even just "We care and are here". They have been a blessing. If you have never seen them at work...consider yourself lucky. That means you probably have never been in a disaster as big as this. I have been blessed but it is nice to see others here to help those that need help.
All the hand painted signs in the yards. Some serious..."keep out" "residents only, no tourists allowed", "please dont steal what we have left", "thanks for nothing Fema", "Looters will be shot", "small dog, big gun". All with a true meaning. We were there. We contemplated a gun to keep looters from stealing our generator. not so much our generator...things are things...but strangers in my house and possbibly harming my family.
Then there are those signs that just let you know we are going to be okay. "ike can't beat us like Tina" or "yard of the month" (this was in front of a house that had all this debris, trees down...devastated) or a plastic Frosty the Snowman with a life preserver around his neck that read "I survived Ike".
Is it going to take a long time to get back to normal? Yes. Will it be tough? Yes. But we will make it. We will survive and we, as a community, will do whatever it takes to make our community, safe, clean and home again.
Welcome back Seabrook!! We have missed you!! Pin It
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The Devastation
I went back to my hometown today. We still don't have lights but I can't complain. My husband and I drove around our small town. I couldn't help but cry. We are a town of 12000. I don't even know where to begin. We have a lot of woods in our area and jogging trails that wind through them. But they have the cadaver dogs out searching for victims. They are looking in the trees because they believe a 30 foot wall water came on shore. In those waters were people. And in some places where there were homes, all that is there is the foundation. Or maybe their homes are there...1/2 a foot to the left or right of the foundation. There are TVs, baby clothes, dressers, refrigerators in the woods, the parks and in the middle of the street. We had a wholesale fishing market street....just empty land now.
But for everyone...just imagine everyone in your neighborhood taking everything, and I mean everything, out of their house and putting it on the curb. Rugs, sheet rock, insulation, furniture, clothes, baby strollers. food, toys, pictures, just everything and putting it on the curb. It piles up about 10 feet and spans the length of your yard. Now imagine everyone in the neighborhood does this. There is no electricity, mosquitos are everywhere and you have nothing to drink or eat. You wanna stay to keep cleaning but you can't stay in your home. And you are limited on gas. Sure you can get a "snack pack" from FEMA but you have kids and that is not enough. If you are fortunate your job lets you take care of things. If you are not, you have to get to work or worse, your employer no longer exists because it was wiped out by the storm.
Kids start school on Tuesday in a building that has no AC and you don't have any AC either. For me, that means 75 miles one way to get her to school. I may have to enroll her into a school in Spring. She is worried about her friends and just wants to see familiar faces. She remembers how everyone ahhed and ooohed the Katrina evacuees that enrolled in her school and she doesn't want that kind of attention.
No picture on TV or story can even begin to touch the reality of actually being out there. I was blessed with just a few shingles gone...I am in awe of the difference of my house and almost everyone around me. I can't wait to get back and just help out my neighbors. We are going this weekend and help anyone we can.
Pray. Pin It
But for everyone...just imagine everyone in your neighborhood taking everything, and I mean everything, out of their house and putting it on the curb. Rugs, sheet rock, insulation, furniture, clothes, baby strollers. food, toys, pictures, just everything and putting it on the curb. It piles up about 10 feet and spans the length of your yard. Now imagine everyone in the neighborhood does this. There is no electricity, mosquitos are everywhere and you have nothing to drink or eat. You wanna stay to keep cleaning but you can't stay in your home. And you are limited on gas. Sure you can get a "snack pack" from FEMA but you have kids and that is not enough. If you are fortunate your job lets you take care of things. If you are not, you have to get to work or worse, your employer no longer exists because it was wiped out by the storm.
Kids start school on Tuesday in a building that has no AC and you don't have any AC either. For me, that means 75 miles one way to get her to school. I may have to enroll her into a school in Spring. She is worried about her friends and just wants to see familiar faces. She remembers how everyone ahhed and ooohed the Katrina evacuees that enrolled in her school and she doesn't want that kind of attention.
No picture on TV or story can even begin to touch the reality of actually being out there. I was blessed with just a few shingles gone...I am in awe of the difference of my house and almost everyone around me. I can't wait to get back and just help out my neighbors. We are going this weekend and help anyone we can.
Pray. Pin It
The Devastation
I went back to my hometown today. We still don't have lights but I can't complain. My husband and I drove around our small town. I couldn't help but cry. We are a town of 12000. I don't even know where to begin. We have a lot of woods in our area and jogging trails that wind through them. But they have the cadaver dogs out searching for victims. They are looking in the trees because they believe a 30 foot wall water came on shore. In those waters were people. And in some places where there were homes, all that is there is the foundation. Or maybe their homes are there...1/2 a foot to the left or right of the foundation. There are TVs, baby clothes, dressers, refrigerators in the woods, the parks and in the middle of the street. We had a wholesale fishing market street....just empty land now.
But for everyone...just imagine everyone in your neighborhood taking everything, and I mean everything, out of their house and putting it on the curb. Rugs, sheet rock, insulation, furniture, clothes, baby strollers. food, toys, pictures, just everything and putting it on the curb. It piles up about 10 feet and spans the length of your yard. Now imagine everyone in the neighborhood does this. There is no electricity, mosquitos are everywhere and you have nothing to drink or eat. You wanna stay to keep cleaning but you can't stay in your home. And you are limited on gas. Sure you can get a "snack pack" from FEMA but you have kids and that is not enough. If you are fortunate your job lets you take care of things. If you are not, you have to get to work or worse, your employer no longer exists because it was wiped out by the storm.
Kids start school on Tuesday in a building that has no AC and you don't have any AC either. For me, that means 75 miles one way to get her to school. I may have to enroll her into a school in Spring. She is worried about her friends and just wants to see familiar faces. She remembers how everyone ahhed and ooohed the Katrina evacuees that enrolled in her school and she doesn't want that kind of attention.
No picture on TV or story can even begin to touch the reality of actually being out there. I was blessed with just a few shingles gone...I am in awe of the difference of my house and almost everyone around me. I can't wait to get back and just help out my neighbors. We are going this weekend and help anyone we can.
Pray. Pin It
But for everyone...just imagine everyone in your neighborhood taking everything, and I mean everything, out of their house and putting it on the curb. Rugs, sheet rock, insulation, furniture, clothes, baby strollers. food, toys, pictures, just everything and putting it on the curb. It piles up about 10 feet and spans the length of your yard. Now imagine everyone in the neighborhood does this. There is no electricity, mosquitos are everywhere and you have nothing to drink or eat. You wanna stay to keep cleaning but you can't stay in your home. And you are limited on gas. Sure you can get a "snack pack" from FEMA but you have kids and that is not enough. If you are fortunate your job lets you take care of things. If you are not, you have to get to work or worse, your employer no longer exists because it was wiped out by the storm.
Kids start school on Tuesday in a building that has no AC and you don't have any AC either. For me, that means 75 miles one way to get her to school. I may have to enroll her into a school in Spring. She is worried about her friends and just wants to see familiar faces. She remembers how everyone ahhed and ooohed the Katrina evacuees that enrolled in her school and she doesn't want that kind of attention.
No picture on TV or story can even begin to touch the reality of actually being out there. I was blessed with just a few shingles gone...I am in awe of the difference of my house and almost everyone around me. I can't wait to get back and just help out my neighbors. We are going this weekend and help anyone we can.
Pray. Pin It
Monday, September 15, 2008
House was spared!
My house was spared from Ike. I was one of only 5-10% people that did not get water in their house or wind damage. A few shingles came off but not much more.....Tired...emotionally. Going to bed, will post more tomorrow.
Pin It
House was spared!
My house was spared from Ike. I was one of only 5-10% people that did not get water in their house or wind damage. A few shingles came off but not much more.....Tired...emotionally. Going to bed, will post more tomorrow.
Pin It
Friday, September 12, 2008
Tired
It is 9:47 at night and the winds are still calm. I have stopped watching the news...same thing over and over...my house will flood. My husband is sleeping on a couch at my brother's place. He is emotionally and physically drained. He spent all day yesterday measuring windows, cutting boards and hanging them with hurricane clips. We drove to my brothers and today we spent the day worrying about the hurricane. He is from Canada and this is his first hurricane. Let him sleep. He is worried about our home and feels powerless. He knows the rough journey we have ahead of us and we have learned to put it in God's hands. Let him rest...give him peace. Pin It
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