We lost power and my apartment flooded

[mdmc]

Now I need to decide to try to dry the place out, or to try to find another place. Tonight we will stay with family. We cant stay with family forever. We may need to go to the homeless shelter for a couple of weeks until we can find a new place to live.

Another day in paycheck to paycheck America. If I wasn't so ill, I could skip some medications and medical appointments and have more then enough money to avoid homelessness.

Single payer would have kept a roof over our heads. Now I pay over $200.Io per month on medical costs. My safety money is all gone. I need a bailout.

Ah, to be sick and working in America. God Bless.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. I am sorry

[mdmc]

3. I hear that my friend

keep fighting the good fight. Working people need a hero.

[Sherman A1]

2. I would explore all your options before making any

decisions. Terribly sorry for your situation, but check & see what assistance might be available from FEMA & Red Cross and alike. Also insurance, check with the landlord on their plans for your place and take your time.

[mdmc]

4. the landlord is working on it already

but the place went under. we saved our sofa and loveseat, and bed. Most clothing and books were destroyed.

thanks for the thoughts and advice. peace and low stress..

[Sherman A1]

23. Mom & Sister went thru Katrina

and there was help available through both Red Cross, FEMA &, their local government & the State of Louisiana at the time. While I am certain you are dealing with the "gut punch" of the whole thing, give it a couple of days to let "officialdom", sort things thru & see what there is available in the way of help and then take everything to which you are entitled. I am sure your property loss is devastating, but if there were no injuries then things get better, one day at a time.

Best of Luck to You!

[EFerrari]

5. Please keep us posted. I can't believe the ciity or county

hasn't made any arrangements with a motel.

[Lochloosa]

6. CONTACT THE RED CROSS

They have always been very helpful after storms I've been involved in. Also, looked to FEMA for emergency food stamps.

[yardwork]

7. I'm so sorry. Please keep talking to people who may be able to help, per suggestions here.

[Omaha Steve]

8. General area you live at?

Marta asked.

[alp227]

9. click the profile (the white tab thingy), says Newburgh NY n/t

[Omaha Steve]

25. I was grilling outside while we were both on the speaker phone inside etc

I didn't even think of it.

[mdmc]

11. newburgh ny

we have a place for tonight.. need long term plans soon though..

[pitohui]

10. really sorry to hear this

if at ALL possible it's generally much better conditions staying with family, even on an air mattress on the floor, than getting caught up in the trap of a homeless shelter so i strongly advise you to try to work with your family on this, i would hope they would be more understanding than just "tonight" when you've just been flooded out of your place

check with red cross and FEMA, if your family can't afford to have you stay very long unless you can chip in financially, after some storms red cross has provided debit cards loaded with money that can be used to buy food, replace clothing, etc. -- if you can get this extra money to help buy groceries maybe your family can be more understanding about letting you stay longer than "tonight"

FEMA has given money before too, they direct deposit it, check and see what you are entitled to and if there's any chance, give them a bank where they can direct deposit the money (this is by far the quickest way to receive it)

i hope some combination of your family plus assistance can keep you out of the shelters and get you back into an apartment, i wish society took better notice of the fact that quick, timely help ends up being cheaper than allowing a person to fall into prolonged homelessness that requires extensive use of services over month or years...

keep us informed of how it is going, we will worry if we don't hear

[mdmc]

12. thanks for all the support DU

We will be just fine. I just am going down the road feeling bad right now. needed to vent. thanks again..

[pitohui]

13. losing your home is one of the most stressful things that can happen to a person

don't feel bad about needing to vent!

[tawadi]

31. Sounds like you are entitled to vent

You have a lot on your plate, as they say. Hope things turn around for you soon.

[mdmc]

32. Im sure that they will

things will turn around fosho.

thanks for the reply .. peace and low stess

[Waiting For Everyman]

14. Very sorry this happened to you.

The suggestions here are good ones. I'd add the Salvation Army - they're very good with getting people on their feet. They even supply cars, furniture, whatever.

:hug:

[jwirr]

15. Sorry about your apartment. My sister in Delaware evacuated her

trailer house but came back today - no damage except a window in the screen door. I am assuming it did not hit that hard there. Couple of pics I have seen seem to indicate there might have been a tornado.

[MerryBlooms]

16. I'm so sorry to hear this

I don't have much right now, but I can certainly send a little something to help. If there's a way to do that, just let me/us know.

[BoWanZi]

17. Make a claim on your renter's insurance, hopefully you can get your money back for damaged property

[mdmc]

33. we were able to save our furniture and electronics

we only lost our books.
it is the apartment that I hope can be saved..

[Mnemosyne]

18. I'm very sorry, mdmc. Hope things get better quickly.

:hug:

[Auntie Bush]

19. Can't you apply for emergency welfare? That might prevent you from going to a shelter.

Good luck and bless you in whatever you decide or are forced to do.

[madokie]

20. I hate to read this as you're one of my favorite DU'rs

I wish I had some answers for you but all I have is encouragement and a few kind words. I'm sending good vibes your way, hoping you and yours find a way through this. If you were closer I'd come to help clean up. I could imagine the mess a flood would be.
Peace and low stress
madokie :hug:

[mdmc]

21. back atcha madokie

peace out!

[lunatica]

22. I'm sorry you're feeling so bad

You've gotten very good advice here. I hope you feel better after seeing how many people care.

I live paycheck to almost the next paycheck. Just that alone is exhausting after months and years.

[sellitman]

24. Sorry to hear that

Wish I was in a financial place to help

[MineralMan]

26. I'm very sorry to hear that. Personal stories bring the reality

of this storm home clearly. Those who are poo-pooing this storm are ignoring the cost of it to real people.

I hope you find a solution to your dilemma.

[malaise]

27. Damn

How awful. :grouphug:

[Bozita]

28. 40 unit apt bldg burned here the other day. Red Cross put the folks up in area hotels/motels.

Also gave residents debit cards for food/necessities.

You might want to contact them.

Best of luck to you!

[Justina For Justice]

29. If You Lived in Venezuela, You Would Be Safe and Secure Now.

Last November and December, Venezuela, where I now live, was hit with enormous rainfall which caused massive flooding. Over 130,000 people were made homeless. The government supplied immediate alternative housing, paying for hotels for some and placing other in government offices and buildings. President Chavez even moved some homeless folks right into Mira Flores Palace, the Venezuelan equivalent of our White House. Chavez himself moved into a tent in its backyard.

Now, the Venezuelan government is building two million houses for those who lost their homes in the storms and for thousands of others who are inadequately housed for other reasons.

President Chavez is constantly criticized by the U.S. State Department and our national media. They do so because the last things they want is for Americans to learn how successfully a socialist government provides for its citizens.

Here in Venezuela there is free health care, medical, dental and optical. All medical testing is completely free. I have used it many times and it is as good as Kaiser ever was in Hawaii.

Here,low cost food is available to all who want it from government markets and restaurants. Those with low resources get it for free.

Public education to the university level is free as well. Students here don't need to be indebted to banks to the tune of thousands of dollars in order to obtain a good education or technical skills.

This country's oil resources are being used for the benefit of the whole population. Our resources in the U.S. are used to generate corporate profits, benefiting only a handful of rich CEO's.

Folks in the U.S. need to join with their neighbors to demand that our government make helping our people its top priority, not filling the already full pockets of the corporate billionaires. Those billionaires got all that money by stealing from the wages and savings of those who really produce useful things, their workers. We must take it back and send them to jail where they belong.

We need real democratic socialism in the U.S., not merely socialism for the rich, which is what we have now.

[October]

30. So sorry.

Really, really sorry.

Our basement flooded...but we can live in our house. I can't imagine how stressed you are.

Unfortunately, so many are unsympathetic. It's weird to me. There are many levels of difficulty.

Sending angels.

[LeftyMom]

34. How deep did it flood?

The landlord should handle all of the repairs, though depending on how deep the water was that might take a while. It'll probably be hard to line up workmen. If it's only a few inches of water the carpeting will need to be torn out and thrown away and any drywall that got wet will need to be cut out and replaced, but that's work any handyman or unskilled day laborer can do and it shouldn't take real long. If the water was deep enough that the wiring was wet it will need to be replaced, and that means pulling permits and expensive skilled labor so if it comes to that you'll need to line up a new place because it'll take a while. Your landlord should either move you into a habitable unit or pay for someplace to stay, but I don't know if there's some kind of 'act of god' exemption like there is for insurance policies and such.

Oh, and if any wet drywall or flooring isn't replaced, move, because that apartment will wind up with one hell of a mold problem and you don't need that if you're already not well.

[donheld]

35. I'm so very sorry. Wish I could help more.

[Pooka Fey]

36. ...

:hug:

[ZombieHorde]

37. I hope you get back on track soon.

:hug: