Hello Cuties, just letting you know we have electricity and all my kids do except Ashley. Her and her family are with us.
The first 2 pics are our great niece Courtney's home. Several trees went down on and through it.The third pic is our nephew Shelby's house, Courtney's dad. The front yard and house looks good. All the destruction is in the back. There is an in ground swimming pool under all the debris.
Our kids are going to help Shelby with the clean up. Shelby is the nephew I told you about years ago that had the two children with the muscle disease. Both in wheelchairs. Sam is Dalton's age about 24 and Sydni is Lanie's age 20.
Dalton works for the high lines, restoring after storms. He has been to many different states over the years restoring power lines. He sent my daughter, his mom, a text. He said the pictures don't do the destruction justice. He said it's bad, I mean bad and probably a year to get everything back up and running.
So sad to hear of families displaced. Many families are from the same place, so it's not like they can go stay with their family/parents. Their families don't have a place either.
Ashley is trying to save her food by going to run a generator off and on to keep things frozen or cold. She doesn't live but about 10 minutes from me but it took Grayson and Brian about 3 hours to come from their house to here. They had to stop and cut trees off the road and move them.
Thank you all for your prayers. Please continue to pray for these people. Some of them already went through Hurricane Rita about 15 years ago. It was not much news coverage about Rita because so much was also still going on with Katrina. I know it was my first time seeing in person any destruction like that. I was shocked to see places where I remembered homes to be reduced to just a pile of splintered wood. Devastation. I mentally prepared myself after going through that town because Ashley lived further south. When we got to her house your first thought was thank you God. She had roof damage and flooding in garage, a few trees to clean up, but she had her house!
Hope all of you are well and safe-Love Toogie
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Toogie apologies that I have not commented on this post before. Thank you for sharing the pictures of your family homes after the hurricane. The stark reality of what happens leaves me not knowing what to say. It must be very frightening being surrounded by such weather, not knowing when it will be over and very worried as to what you will find outside when its safe to venture out.. Take care and I am so happy that you and your family haven't suffered to the extent that you thought was going to happen. Thinking of you all and the many others who are clearing up after the dreadful weather
1 comment
by toogie
01 Sep 2020
No apologies necessary 🙂 Ashley just got her electricity restored. They want to get everything packed up again, to go back home. They have clothes for five,Nora’s bicycle here, Mason brought electronics, home school stuff, etc so they may be awhile. Also, Ashley has to be at her in-laws at five this evening. Her brother in law is a physician and he wants her to meet with him at his parents because Hospice is coming to evaluate his dad. Sad ...
115775Toogie, so glad you have electricity and are able to let us know that you are okay and so is your family, mostly. Laura was one nasty storm and so many weren't so lucky. Glad that those trees that wrecked the house didn't take any lives. I know that you and many others have a lot of work ahead of you, we'll keep you in our prayers. I am so lucky that Laura left us alone completely, not even any rain. Praying also that we all get through the rest of hurricane season with no more major storms.
2 comments
by toogie
30 Aug 2020
I hope so too and so glad y’all weren’t affected this time. I know hurricane season hasn’t peaked yet and know it will go on another couple months. The wrecked house is Courtney’s and yes, they were not in it, thank God. Shelby had to crawl in it to Courtney’s house to get a safe out of the bedroom. They were afraid someone would loot it. That’s when he took a pic of her ceiling caved in with fan on the floor or bed.
by sewtired
01 Sep 2020
Mind numbing to think of all the work to be done just to clean up, and then there's the work to restore. Stay strong!
11506So glad to hear you and family are safe! Hope there are plenty of helpers to start the cleanup.
You'd be surprised how long things will stay frozen in a deep freeze if it is full and you open it as little as possible. Sure hope you can save it - or feed the electric linemen! LOL
Prayers will continue for those in your area.
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5431sorry this all happened, but thank goodness you are all safe. I will keep you and family and friends in my prayers
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743327Those photo really brought to life what devastation people are having to live through. Losing one's house is not just that the house is crushed, but all the memories one has of living in the house makes it more upsetting. I'm glad you and your loved ones are safe as that is the most important thing. Just looking at these photos is making me teary.
2 comments
by toogie
30 Aug 2020
My daughter's friend Jen has her mother in ill health living with them and they have 4 children. The oldest is about 16. She told the kids we are a family of 7 and we cannot pack everything from our home. She said before they left home, she told the kids we have to pack necessary, basic things like clothes and food, but I want each of you to go to your room. I want you to choose just one thing that you don't want to loose. It can be anything that you feel you would miss too much or feel you can't live without. She said I won't judge, if I think it's silly or unnecessary, because who I am to say what's most important to someone else.
This is also how they planned ahead. It may seem crazy to those of us that have comforts and can't imagine, but this is survival time and Jen and Adam are good responsible parents, for their children.
Jen said I knew we could not afford to eat out every meal, not for seven people. When we left our home we loaded our freezer full of food, in the back of Adam's truck. She said I packed my Air Fryer and Instant Pot. She said Adam brought a heavy duty extension cord and they are in a hotel in Baton Rouge. She said we ran the cord under our hotel room door to the freezer, keeping their food. She said they cook on the tailgate of the truck and they haven't had to eat out. She had also said when planning they did this also, because with Covid and the storm, there may not be anywhere to eat out.
These are extraordinary times and I think Jen's family are lucky she uses her head. She is another hero in my book.
By the way, they will have to live with Adam's parents when they can return, so they will be a family of nine! Their home is still around, but was washed away from the foundation. It also had other damage. Adam's parents home has maybe one or two shingles loose and maybe a board loose on the side of the house. Other than that, it looked okay. After loosing their house before, they re-built on those piers you see in the footage.
33641So much destruction. It brakes my heart. Keeping you and your family in my prayers and all people affected by this.
1 comment
by toogie
30 Aug 2020
Thank you Angie for remembering all. If I told you about Ashley friend Jen, you would cry.
109774My heart is heavy for those who have lost so much and especially those whose lives were taken. I saw a drone shot over Lake Charles and it was awful.
I'm so happy that you and your family are safe and secure.
1 comment
by toogie
30 Aug 2020
Thank you I am happy too. We still haven’t heard from some of the family but my dh’s 102 year old aunt just called me. She said her electricity is back on so her daughter brought her back home. She said she has singles off her house so will have to replace her roof. She also said trees and limbs down all over her yard that will need cleaning up. She said she’s not gonna let that worry her right now. The main thing is she’s safe and still has her house.
158718Keeping you all in my prayers. Thank goodness everyone is ok though. Trees falling are the major way people lose their lives in a storm like this. Hugs. Nan
3 comments
by toogie
30 Aug 2020
I understand about the trees. I could have been killed as a child when one fell on my bedroom I slept in. We heard of a lady getting killed here like that. I didn’t know her by my husband knew her husband. It was just about a month ago that she woke up and found her husband had died in his sleep. Both are younger than us but he had heart issues. Sad for their family.
11927I am so glad you and your family are safe! While living in Florida for 35 years I know the destruction a hurricane can do. Still praying for all those affected by the hurricane.
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by toogie
30 Aug 2020
Thank you , I know you understand the impact. Florida has its share of storms too. If you ever see a young, skinny 6 foot, good looking lineman it could be my grandson!-lol
18140Very glad to hear you all are safe, looks like lots of work ahead.
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45918Thank goodness you and the family are all right. Take care dear Toogie
1 comment
by toogie
30 Aug 2020
Thank you yes we are good. Kids are preparing their supplies today, for clean up tomorrow. Bringing two barrels of Diesel fuel for tractors. Loading their chain saws, water, etc.
255054Oh! Toogie, I am so happy to read that you are o.k. I'm so sorry about Ashley's freezer and pray that she can get electricity on back really soon. It's such a huge thing to clean out freezers after major storm damage and loss of electricity. Thank God for those people who are helping out they are the real heroes. Love Chris
1 comment
by toogie
30 Aug 2020
Grayson just came to get the kids for church. He and Ashley stayed at their house last night, running the generator for appliances. I know they had to have been too hot to sleep much. Sometime this afternoon she may want to redistribute food here and there at our different homes. It’s a lot of trouble but needs to be saved. We were hoping their power would be restored at least by today as people not far from them on both sides have power.
My traveling niece Eraine brought my husbands 92 year old brother to their house during, and still there after, the storm. However, they went back to his place and had to throw everything because no electricity at his house or generator use. She said stench was bad. It’s been so humid and so hot. It doesn’t take long for spoilage.
234507Have seen the damage on the news,some places are completely flattened.Glad that your family is safe & has been extremely lucky ,the noise must have been horrendous.
Chain saws will be running for days or weeks cleaning up every where.
You don't think much about electricity until you don't have any ,then everything you want to do ,is out of the question.We were amazed how cold the food in our freezer was after along blackout during a very hot summer.
If you use wood for heating in the winter,it looks like you will have plenty after the clean up.
1 comment
by toogie
30 Aug 2020
The wind can make strange sounds. I kept asking my husband what that roaring noise was. It almost sounded like something running. He went on the porch a few times against my wishes. He said it sounded like it was the wind high in the trees around us. I thought it sounded like Some kind of loud machine running. I couldn’t figure it out. My phone kept going off with tornado warnings.
I remember we were out of electricity before longer than this time but it seemed this time it was much hotter. I had every window open. My husband got in bed but I tried sleeping on loveseat by two open window. Humidity has been terrible! The air was so still afterward you almost smothered trying to breathe, so hot!
25212Wow! Such devastation. So glad you are all safe and have power restored. Hope Ashley does not lose any food. What a mess to have to clear. Prayers for all. Hugs
1 comment
by toogie
30 Aug 2020
Ashley said she would have to decided what to do or what to try to save tomorrow. They can’t keep running generators because fuel is hard to get. I told her I don’t have a lot of room in my freezer but maybe her brother does. We will try to save all we can.
52686I'm just sitting here gulping looking at these awful scenes. Let your daughter bring her food to your house, cook it on the grill and eat her food first, so she can quit messing with that generator! You can help her replenish later. So glad you made it through, but work ahead.
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by toogie
30 Aug 2020
We can’t eat a freezer full before it would ruin!😳I’m not talking about the freezer space in a refrigerator. I’m talking about deep freezers! It’s seven of us here. I don’t know when her electricity will be restored but if not soon we will just clean all appliances out so they don’t smell.
66920Wow! I am so glad your family is safe!
Prayers for the clean-up and for those that lost lives and homes.
3 comments
by toogie
30 Aug 2020
Thank you. They will have to be careful when cutting down trees that something hasn’t blew and hanging in top to fall out of tops on them. Also snakes are bad afterwards.
by rescuer
30 Aug 2020
Oh! I didn't think about snakes! We get really strong winds here that will topple huge trees. I don't think I would be "ok" with angry snakes looking for "home".
by toogie
edited 30 Aug 2020
My son just killed a rattlesnake that had 17 rattles! Yes, rattlesnakes like around pine trees and palmetto and also water moccasins will be around all the water. We have copperheads and cottonmouths too. All very deadly poisonous.
I also wanted to add. My grandson Caleb does taxidermy. When he opened that snake, to tan the skin, it had 16 baby snakes inside! OU! I would not fool with that! Makes me cringe ...there has to be another, safer hobby for him...like sewing or embroidery!-lol
57675So sad to see all this destruction...……...Praying for all of you and those who were and are in harms way. I live in Fl and know this has and could again happened here.
1 comment
by toogie
30 Aug 2020
I know you have your own share of these storms. They can be so destructive. I just feel so bad because it’s so widespread. We are about 85 miles as the crow flies or a little over a 100 miles by car from the gulf. One of our brothers north of us 100 more miles electricity is out too. This was a huge storm.
766Oh Toogie! Such sadness, but gratefulness that everyone survived. Your pictures are so similar to the destruction to Panama City and surrounding areas from Hurricane Michael in 2018. Yes, it will be a long road to recovery but praise God for the people who will soon be coming to help out in anyway they can. Please know that you are not alone and prayers are continuing.
4 comments
by toogie
30 Aug 2020
One Electricity crew guys working here are from Oklahoma - they told My dh cousin they sleep in their truck a few hours and go back to work- no where to stay and they haven't bathed, no hotels nearby.
Ashley said if they would get her power restored they could come to her house !
by 02kar
30 Aug 2020
We heard that about the crews that came in after Super storm Sandy in New Jersey. I know people offered them food and anything else they could when they found out. They also work 12 hours on until the work is done and everyone has power. These folks are true heroes in my eyes.
by toogie
30 Aug 2020
Yes, I forgot they had also told my dh’s cousin about no where to get food. I hope people are feeding them.
You would think everybody would appreciate the workers trying to re-power their cities, but my grandson told me a story about trying to put up high lines in New Orleans after a storm. It is a sad and dangerous world when you have to have police on guard to prospect a lineman from being shot off the high line structure! People using my grandson and other crew members for target practice! Even if it was a bad part of city the outlaws need electricity too. Stupid/crazy people/gangs.
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