Déjà vu in Southwest Louisiana?

Ellie,

Thank you for your contact.  I was up early this morning to watch the briefing from our local officials.  It is not often that you will hear a citizen say they are Blessed in the local officials that have been elected to office and the way they work together, but we have an awesome team down here.  They truly are PREPARED and keep us PREPARED.  It is hard work that they stay on top of year round.  Thank you for thinking of us.

Joshua and Kathy,

I enjoyed your Blog.  Since we may have a enforced work "slow down" again, maybe I will have time for another visit.  Thank you for your assistance after Katrina and your Prayers are always welcomed.  We are very concerned for our friends in Texas and we are on what is known as the "dirty side" of the storm.  That means we will have significant damage without a direct hit.  We are bracing ourselves either way.  This is a wonderful place to live and like every where else, it has to have a glitch here and there.

Greg,

This was truly a rough one.  We stayed because we were not expected to be in harms way.  I purchased flood insurance two years ago against my insurance agents advice.  He said I DID NOT NEED IT.  Everyone said I did not need it.  I purchased it any way.  If I had not stayed, I would not have been there to move our antiques to higher ground when the entire first floor took on 4 inches of water this time.  The wind destruction in our area was not that much, just the water was horrible.  Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.  We need them.

Mike,

I do hope you have heard from your Sister in law and her husband by now.  I know they had wind and water where as we had mostly water to contend with.  Lots of water.  We have many homes flooded out.  I will be gutting and remodeling the entire first floor of my home and it has never taken in the first drop of water.  It was in what was considered to be in a the "X" or once in 500 year flood zone.  Thank goodness I had taken out the flood insurance any way to be sure.

Hi Sylvia,

I am not able to spend as much time as I need to on my business, but AR is a form of escape for me late at night before I try to sleep.  It is as though I try to visit with friends whose world is in a more orderly form than mine at this time. 

I am very blessed with all of the assistance of a wonderful contractor that has already torn almost everything out that needs to come out down to the studs.  The plumbing and remaining of the hardwood flooring comes out tomorrow and the next day the spray everything to make sure that mold could not possibly survive. Then we start to rebuild.  That is when it becomes exciting.  Now it is a little depressing.  You can see from one end of my home to the other.  My Pug loves it.  She cuts THROUGH the walls now instead of going around.  She is going to hate it when they put them back up.

I would think you could adapt the preparedness page to suit your needs in CA.  Take a look at doing that.  I would be very happy for you to use our idea to help others.  Good Luck.

I hope that is going to be helpfull.  I have heard such mixed reviews about how just the compensation is when they come to the homes.  We meet with the adjuster tomorrow and I am a nervous wreck as I wait in my demolished home knowing this one individual has such terrible power over my life.  I will be glad when tomorrow is over.