Reply #17: We went through this in NC with Hurricane Floyd, it will take years [View All]

to clean up and rebuild where the flooding has been this severe.

It has taken years of effort by hundreds of groups and individuals, and still today there are homes in the flood area still condemned and waiting to be demolished. And in the hardest hit areas you usually find the poorest with no insurance to help them rebuild or move.

The problem is not building or rebuilding, the problem is drying out, tearing out, and then cleaning the grounds and structure to prevent mold, mildew, and spread of infection from the flood waters. Everything is affected, wiring, plumbing, flooring, sheetrock, ceilings, etc. You have to do that first before you can put new materials to work. You cannot imagine how difficult and dirty this type of work is.

The tragedy is people who lose their homes are usually unable to find suitable housing in the area and have to move miles away to a new location with little money or assistance.

And one last point. Government assistance always runs out before people victimized by the flood can be resettled. Public attention moves on, and volunteers will eventually finish the job as far as possible. In our case, many victims were evicted from temporary trailers provided by FEMA before they could be resettled. FEMA came and got the trailers and left. Heartbreaking.