Dear Friends:
We just spent the day cleaning out my parents home; removing wet carpet from the downstairs and one of the upstairs rooms as well as cleaning out the refrigerator. We have to bury all waste so dug several large holes in the backyard and dump out spoiled food container by container. The house is about 70% damaged b/c of water damage, especially the result of the protective covering on the roof being blown into the neighbor’s yard.
It looks like a warzone here. Trees are down everywhere. Powerlines and phone lines are on the ground. Many streets are impassable b/c of downed trunks. Virtually every home has received some floodwater damage. Many, like ours, received additional water through the rain that got into the house, walls, and insulation as a result of roof damage.
They’re telling us that we have to be out on Thursday, but information keeps changing so quickly no one really seems to know what’s going on. Our plan is to leave here either Thursday afternoon or Friday morning.
Our main project is to figure out someway to provide a temporary fix to the roof. Building supplies are non-existent and we brought with us some large tarpolins. Not sure if they’ll fit over the roof over not. So we will “MacGuyver” something to protect the interior of the house in case of future rain.
Military helicopters pass overhead every five minutes or so. Some are patrolling for looters. Others are taking supplies to areas inaccessible by road. Saw a helicopter this morning take a huge “balloon” of water to try to drop on a fire somewhere North of here.
Keep us in your prayers – the situation in N.O. is horrible – but God is good even in the chaos.
Jay
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