Wowak
SuperDork
5/8/10 10:34 a.m.
Perhaps it bears mentioning that I didn't carry renter's insurance because I was reasonably assured the homeowner's insurance would cover my things (because I was renting a room, not the whole house.) The Insurance provider refused to sell the homeowner flood insurance because the house was not on a flood plain. So there is no insurance coverage whatsoever. We're hoping we get SOMETHING from FEMA, but there are no assurances as of yet.
Man, sorry to hear that. As others have said, if you are still looking at the grass from the green side everything else can be fixed.
Wowak wrote:
Does that taste any different than Bud Light?
cwh
SuperDork
5/9/10 7:43 a.m.
Re: canned water- When you have no clean water, even Bud Light is welcome. We have seen those cans here several times, always glad to have them.
That really sucks. We had a pretty huge flood in 1997 or so, but our basement was unfinished, so there wasn't really much damage other than a soggy HO train layout and washer & dryer.
Wow. Guess that '100 year flood level' thing really has some meaning.
I bet that 'water' is really just Bud Light without the fizz.
Dang. I was afraid it was something like this when I saw the thread title. I grew up in hurricane country, and I know..there are few things on Earth that are more nasty/filthy/gross/ABSOLUTELY disgusting than a flood. It's like being attacked by the Mold Monsters from Planet BMW E36. Good to hear everyone's OK..work slow, doctor (with disinfectant) up any cuts right now when they happen, and try not to touch your eyes, nose, or ears. Good luck digging out, dude. Those things are straight nasty!
Note to self: always evacuate in the car you want to keep.
Wowak
SuperDork
5/9/10 7:42 p.m.
Jensenman wrote:
Wow. Guess that '100 year flood level' thing really has some meaning.
We weren't even on what they call the "100 year flood plain." This is what they call a "Thousand Year Flood."
My parents bought my some new clothes and a couple new pairs of shoes, so that was pretty awesome. The next big purchase will be some kind of computer (I'm only online because I'm at the family homestead in PA for a few days, when I get back to TN tomorrow it'll be back to sporadic net time as I steal or borrow friends' laptops.)
We were taking every precaution we could in terms of contamination, nitrile gloves UNDER our work gloves, lots of hand sanitizer every time the gloves came off. It was day 5 before anyone cut themselves, and we slathered it with disinfectant and wrapped the whole leg with duct tape. It was what we had.
Apparently since I left town friday, all the major demolition is done. The next grueling task is cleaning and disinfecting all the things we tried to save, mostly non-essentials like DVDs and collectibles.
Let us know if you need anything. I am sure that for example there are a few spare laptops lying around . I spend a lot of time in Nashville so seeing so much of downtown under water has just been depressing. Again, let us know if you need anything.
Wowak wrote:
We were taking every precaution we could in terms of contamination, nitrile gloves UNDER our work gloves, lots of hand sanitizer every time the gloves came off. It was day 5 before anyone cut themselves, and we slathered it with disinfectant and wrapped the whole leg with duct tape. It was what we had.
Damn..duct tape? Guess it's better than leaving the wound open. Just dropped $50 into the Red Cross' online box (old friend from Facebook is in Memphis, and sent a link for N'ville). I'm sure it won't get there fast enough to help your neighbor, but hopefully they'll be gauze for somebody.
Any idea why this hasn't been a larger national story? This is a catastrophe of epic proportions (reputed to be the costliest non-hurricane natural disaster in US history), but it was barely a blip on the news. That seems odd.
Wowak
SuperDork
5/11/10 10:04 a.m.
dyintorace wrote:
Any idea why this hasn't been a larger national story? This is a catastrophe of epic proportions (reputed to be the costliest non-hurricane natural disaster in US history), but it was barely a blip on the news. That seems odd.
Obama hates white people? I dunno. Apparently some ducks potentially getting oily in the gulf and a non-bombing in NYC are bigger news than 30+ dead Americans and billions of dollars worth of ruined lives. 65% of the homes affected did not have flood insurance because they weren't on the "100 yr flood plain."
dyintorace wrote:
Any idea why this hasn't been a larger national story? This is a catastrophe of epic proportions (reputed to be the costliest non-hurricane natural disaster in US history), but it was barely a blip on the news. That seems odd.
That's because there's no longer any news on TV in the US. Once upon a time, the news divisions were considered to be part and parcel of the "public interest" part of the FCC's original intentions (back during the early days of radio, the late 20s and early 30s), and the corporations that owned broadcasting companies would allow that division of the company to run at a loss, because they understood their impact upon the society at large. That's not true anymore...nowdays, the (alleged) news folks have to have to contribute to the profit margin of the company, just as any other. So...no reporting upon the misfortune of Nashville. Just more garbage about "celebrity" marriages (and the resulting domestic violence), two or three video clips of a violent crime, and updates on the "Missing Pretty White Girl of The Week".
Even CNN is "Fox Light" these days...ugh. Sometimes I'm embarrassed that I actually work in this industry these days.
Wowak
SuperDork
5/12/10 10:36 a.m.
I'm trying not to be too angry about the news situation, but it was unnerving when I called home to let my parents know that I was ok and they had no idea there was anything unusual going on.
Per Schroeder
Technical Editor/Advertising Director
5/12/10 10:49 a.m.
You probably need some new GRM shirts. email me your 'current' address and I'll get some out to you.
Good luck...
Per
The only thing we heard about it here was that the Grand Old Opry had been flooded and one of the geniuses asked why noone thought of hitching their houses to their pickups and moving to higher ground.
yep, all I heard about was the opry and some country singers lost some gear. Our big client has a plant near nashville, and I got more info out of a single paragraph inter-company email than I got from both my local and the national news.
effing media is a piece of tihs
If it makes you feel any better, everything I own can fit into my Miata too. And I haven't suffered through a flood.
Remember, if money CAN fix it, then it isn't a problem. You have your health, the sky is still blue, and race cars are still fun, so everything will work out OK.
Ian F
Dork
5/12/10 12:46 p.m.
Wow. The main news I get is NPR on my classical station. They have mentioned the floods in TN, but not to this extent.
Some years ago, my water heater broke and flooded my basement, doing a number on my guitars and amps. After some minor disassembly and drying time, most survived. All of the cases were toast. Granted, dirty basement water is a whole lot cleaner than cruddy river flood water... I do feel for you, tho... although admittedly on a lesser scale... it sucks.
Hasbro
HalfDork
5/12/10 2:04 p.m.
Per Schroeder wrote:
You probably need some new GRM shirts. email me your 'current' address and I'll get some out to you.
Good luck...
Per
Ummm, my cat just had kittens on my GRM shirt. Do I qualify for a new one?
Why do you want ANOTHER cat? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
Sorry to hear about your ordeal. Sounds like you have a hard working community out there, so you guys should be back on your feet really soon. Keep an eye on the Red Cross & FEMA websites whenever you get a chance. There may be a disbusment of emergency funds in the next few days to make sure people have the essentials. There may also be a temporary housing allowance for the next few months. Find out if there is some sort of emergency HQ & go & fill out any forms you have to. I don't know what may have changed at FEMA since Katrina, but my experience as an uninsured renter was that if you were a student or very low income, they'd offer you a grant (free $) to cover the cost of replacing your belongings. If you had a decent income and looked like you'd repay a loan, they'd offer you a low interest SBA loan instead of the grant. I wouldn't take the loan unless you really need to. Either way, don't hesitate to argue with them about the value of your lost items. Take & keep pictures of your destroyed stuff, including serial numbers, whatever. Good luck. Are you sure your Miata's cat wasn't water damaged or washed away??
Wowak
SuperDork
5/13/10 10:42 p.m.
Per Schroeder wrote:
You probably need some new GRM shirts. email me your 'current' address and I'll get some out to you.
Good luck...
Per
Thanks Per, I sent you a message with the built-in website email thingy, so you'll probably never get it. Let me know.
I bought myself a new cheapo laptop tonight, so at least I'll be back on the interwebs with some regularity.