As most of you are probably aware, South Louisiana was greatly impacted recently by a massive flooding event. Eddy and I grew up in southern Louisiana. My two younger brothers, Seth and Asher, and their families live in the city of Central, LA where 27000 of the 28000 homes were flooded.
The flooding in Central, LA and surrounding areas is unprecedented. The majority of homes that flooded sit well outside the flood plain. This flooding was caused by a freak no-name low pressure storm that churned over the area for 4 days straight… dropping more than 2 feet of rain. The extent of the damage is shocking.
Evacuation by Boat
Around 1:30am August 13th, Asher and his family were evacuated by boat by the Central Fire Department as the water reached their doorstep. They spent the night in the Boaz Baptist Church which was acting as a shelter. A few hours later, after the water continued to rise into areas that have never seen an inch of water, Seth and his family were evacuated via boat by a member of what has become known as the Cajun Navy. These are citizens who put their own boats in the water to help rescue those trapped after official rescue teams became quickly overwhelmed.
The Aftermath
When it was all done, their homes were both inundated with roughly waist-high water and had to be completely gutted. Between the both of them, four cars were totaled by the rancid flood water and irreplaceable family memories have been reduced to a pile of garbage on their front lawns. We spent time there this past week helping to muck and gut and witnessed the devastation first-hand. It’s a sight to behold.
We are so grateful our family is safe, but they have lost the vast majority of the contents of their homes. All of the appliances, beds, furniture, books, cabinets, drywall, and insulation are at the curb waiting for trash pick up. Flood insurance covers only the structure and none of the contents.
Many of you have asked if you can help.
Their homes will be repaired and they are moving forward with solving the problems of life after a major flood. Neighbors are helping neighbors. Friends and family have descended on the area to lend a hand, to donate supplies, to cook and distribute free meals to everyone as they work to save their homes from the onset of mold and pick up the pieces to start over.
I am collecting donations on behalf of my brothers via a YouCaring fundraiser. If you are able and want to make a donation, it will be greatly appreciated and go directly towards Seth, Asher and their families getting back into their houses and making them homes again.
Click here to donate or use the button in the widget.
Thank you!
Liz and Eddy
September 6, 2016 Update
A little over weeks after the flood and homes have begun to dry out. At Seth’s house, the air conditioner that was submerged by the flood has been replaced and is working to speed up the drying of the interior. He also has his WIFI back online.
Looting & Long Commutes
There has been some looting in Seth’s neighborhood, believe it or not. There isn’t much left that is worth stealing, but someone has taken advantage of the fact that homeowners are away to steal tools, boat trailers and such.
With such a large percentage of the population now living with friends and relatives outside of the affected area, there is an unnaturally large commuting population. Subsequently, the traffic since the flood is a mess. Seth’s commute to work from his in-laws in Prairieville where they have been staying was averaging about 1.5 to 2 hours. This was leaving no time to work on the house.
Temporary Housing
To deal with these issues, and allow them to work on the house in the evenings, they have acquired temporary housing in the form of a travel trailer. The trailer is parked in their driveway acting as temporary housing while they continue to work on the house. They are waiting on the electrician to connect the trailer to the power, so in the meantime, Seth is sleeping on a cot in the gutted house.
Moldy Surprise!
At Asher’s house, the mold has taken hold in some hidden spaces like the kitchen island. It’s a constant battle to beat the mold back, but they’re winning and making progress every day. Thank you all for your generous donations!
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