I drove all night on Saturday and arrived here in Winter Haven at about 10:30 yesterday morning. Driving through the mobile home park where my friend lives didn't look so bad until I got to his street. His street took the brunt of the storm. I tried to figure out how 350 homes looked pretty much in good shape with just a piece or two missing and his street looked like a bomb went off. It made no sense. I took pictures and will share them when I get home. I used a digital camera, but don't have the insert card to put the micro card into to put it into my laptop.
Late last night, we were finally able to get ahold of FEMA and they will find him temporary housing today and that will give him a place to hang his hat until he can find somewhere more permanent. Since he doesn't have insurance, FEMA will also help him with setting him up in another mobile home and as they put it, "will probably be able to give him a grant, which unlike a loan, it will not have to be repaid." All great news. He will have to go into the temporary FEMA office here in town and take his title to his once owned home, ID, SS card and other documents and they will do the rest. I was amazed at how organized and proficient they are. I never knew a government agency to be so eager to help and be ready to get it done NOW.
One thing that did bug was that I knew he got a pretty nice pension from his time in the military, so I had to ask him what was he doing with his money. I didn't want to sound intrusive, so I kind of worked it into the conversation at the time. He said he was paying off old bills that him and his ex-wife accrued during their marriage. They were in credit card debt of $35,000, plus he was ordered to continue paying her insurance and 50% of the mortgage for the next 3 years. This man has had a run of really bad luck and his drinking added to his misery.
At about 11 last night, he received a call from the Red Cross asking him if he had a place to sleep last night. He was staying at a neighbors for a few days, but I got a hotel room yesterday with two beds, so he is staying with me. I will leave once I am sure FEMA has him situated. I was afraid that he may have taken up drinking again, but there was none of that in sight. I took him to dinner at Manny's Chop House here in Winter Haven and he had a good dinner, no drinks, just Diet Cokes. I made sure that I didn't order any alcohol for myself, either. He didn't even mention anything about drinking, so that was a relief.
His mobile home was completely destroyed. On Friday and Saturday, the park maintenance took the home apart and put it into a pile of aluminum and vinyl so the frontend loader could scoop it up and put it into a dump truck. The park had 17 men living within the community that volunteered to try to pick up and get rid of all the debris left behind the storm's path. There must have been aluminum strewn about. I also saw a lot of insulation lying around that had not yet been cleaned up.
I am hoping that after a few phone calls, I can finish up here and head back home tomorrow. Just to show you how insensitive some people are, on Thursday morning, the day after the storm passed, outsiders were coming into the park and picking up aluminum that blew off the homes, so they could take the pieces to a junk dealer for cash. The park, which is normally gated, but due to not having electricity had to leave the gates open. To protect the park, management hired armed security to check anyone coming into the park to make certain they were a resident. Electricity as been restored as has cable and internet.
I think Jimmy is going to be OK. When I got here, he ran out to meet me and gave me a bear hug with tears in his eyes. To me, that was worth more than any money that I have spent. I will put pictures up after I get home.
