Good morning Folks, it’s the Lord’s day and I am going to take a break for I am beat to my knees. As I am sure many of you know where I live – SWFL, North Fort Myers to be exact. I’m sure you’ve been watching the TV and heard about us down here. It is, in every word, a War Zone. Mind you, there are a lots of folks worse off than Nancy and I, and they need our prayers, but we were hit hard, very hard.
We just got electricity back late yesterday afternoon, but no internet yet and that will probably take quite some time. We have water, but must still boil to drink. With power now I am able to use my laptop, which happened to be high on a shelf thus saved, and the hot spot on my cell phone, albeit cellphone coverage is limited at best as we lost many towers.
At the height of the storm, we have 2 1/2 ‘ of water in the house. Nancy and I were sitting on kitchen chairs on top of the LR coffee table and the water was still up to our ankles. This was not my first rodeo having grown up on the Chesapeake Bay, but I have ever seen 155 MPH winds. Trust me, if you haven’t you do not want to! I understand Ian was 2 MPG short of being classified as a Cat 5. Our community is (was) completely shaded by beautiful live oaks, which now look like cactuses.
About three quarters of our “stuff” is sitting out by the street with all my neighbors things waiting for the eventual pickup whenever that will be. Both our cars were toasted and have already been hauled away by USAA. Since they were a 2012 and a 2013, we won’t get squat for them as they are not treated as being in an accident – strange.
At our age, the last thing we would have wanted to do was start all over again creating a live-able home, but that’s life. Like I said earlier, there are lots of people who don’t even have a roof over their head. We at least have a solid structure to begin creating that home. Just wanted to give an update to let you know Nancy and I are alive!! And that’s what is important.
Jim & Nancy
PS, please keep emails to a bare minimum as that’s all I have to communicate with Insurance companies, etc. Thank you
