Katrina

[pgermond]

From out west......... the best of luck to yall that are anywhere in the path of this monster. It's a helpless feeling sitting here watching the news (just as it was last year), and seeing what is coming :(

You have our thoughts and prayers, and we are wishing you our best.

Phil

427 Roadster, #4279436
Southern Automotive FE
3:31 and Toploader

Roseville (N.Cal)

[ralphscott]

Hi Phil, Jerry Rowley is in Gulf Shores. We need to pray for all, even those who invite disaster upon themselves.

Ralph

[bittentoo]

I live 20 miles inland on the Texas Gulf Coast below Houston. As much as I don't want to wish anyone harm or bad luck, sure am glad it finally turned north.......

[dmiller]

i live in NW louisiana, all we are expecting displaced residents that move up here to escape. all hotels are full, and the local schools are being used for shelters.

i worry that a high tide strike on the west side of New Orleans could literially put the whole city under water. it is below sea level and only protected by 15 foot levies now.

a good time for prayers.

doug

[JeepSnake]

MSN showing windows bursting in offices and flooding in Jackson, MS, already this morning.

Never really had an idea of how low-lying the whole area was until we went out to Houston last summer, and back through New Orleans. Along the Gulf east of Galveston (Bolivar Point???), I swear we had to look UP from the highway to see the water in places!

Sandy's family is in Spanish Fort, about 40 minutes north of Jerry Rowley's place, but only about 1/4 mile from Mobile Bay. Her dad helped shut down the Kimberly Clark paper mill in Mobile last night; her sister's fiance has his hands full for a while, working as an engineer with the Baldwin EMC, covering power for Gulf Shores, etc.

Here at the wire mill, things were already running nearly 100% making wire for repairs from LAST YEAR...

Prayers for all those in harm's way!

Zach Butterworth
Apple Mt. Cobra Pit Crew
(Mom & Dad's 427)

[Jerry Cowing]

Hi Everyone,

Jerry Rowley, Foley AL, Kim Crockett, Crestview FL, Tommy Powell, Defuniack Springs FL, Jack Flanders, Baker FL and myself all faired well. I live on Choctawhatchee Bay, Niceville FL, and I lost about 22 feet of land, 3 feet deep behind my seawall and my seawall was damaged, but the house faired well. This is the 3rd time I've filled this area with dirt this year. I hauled and spread 62 yards 3 weeks ago and it's all gone plus it took more land. I talked to the others and they didn't have any damage. I haven't heard from Ruble Moore, Pace FL, but I'd guess he did well also.

Jerry Rowley said he was going to Pigeon Forge when I talked to him a couple of days ago. I won't be able to make it this year.

I feel very sorry for those folks in NO, Biloxi, and Gulfport. It is very depressing watching the news casts.

Jer

[pgermond]

Jerry - glad to hear things are okay.

Never thought I would read about Gadsden, AL in our local paper... but there it was... part of the front page story this morning in the Sacramento BEE... photos of the Gadsden Convention Center (didn't know they had one), showing folks who fled Katrina and now are wondering about the fate of their loved ones.

We are sending $$$ and prayers.... don't know what else to do :(

Phil

427 Roadster, #4279436
Southern Automotive FE
3:31 and Toploader

Roseville (N.Cal)

[ralphscott]

Great news Jerry thanks for getting on-line. Gayle and I have been worried.

Ralph

[Slither]

Well, I saw satellite photos of the area [:O][:O], and our lot has been wiped completely clean... nothin' left but the slab the cotage was on :(. (I thought my toploader would help to weigh the house down, but that's gone, too.) In fact, it seems that there is not a single structure left standing on our block... or for that matter, on any other block along the side of the road we lived on. Our neighbors across the street (away from the beach) rode out the storm in a second story apartment above the garage behind their house [:O]... very lucky folks!!

And I guess we are lucky, too. I would not be writing this if we had stayed... and though I hate to admit it [B)], we briefly discussed waiting it out to avoid the evacuation traffic [:O]. Losing our home and everything in it is a better alternative than goin' own with the ship [:O][8][xx(];).

http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/katrina/KATRINA0000.HTM





Paul

289 FIA

2899464

408 Windsor

Toploader (wide)

3.07 rear

[clayfoushee]

I'm very sorry Paul. Do you need any help? Thanks goodness you left.

Clay

'98 Unique #9299, 427FE side oiler (452.1-stroker), top-loader (close), 3.31 rear

Annapolis, MD

[ralphscott]

Ditto Clay Paul. Are there things we can send you to help out your family?

Ralph

[will butterworth]

Paul--sorry for your loss, but so glad you vamoosed the area.Sending all the funds we can to help. Glad to hear from you J.Cowing was worried for you , Kim, Ruble, J. Rowley, and other neighbors. We fared alright here in middle alabama, few down trees, had 40,000 out of power here in calhoun co. but restored now. Had 2000 people show up yesterday at old ft. mcclellan to work on buildings for refugees. They are coming this week. Folks from 8 states, 32 counties worked all day . Never saw folks work so hard.Hearing some horrble stories from locals. Missing children, family mmembers.Hearing some tough talk from some of the local conservatives incondiderate of all that can happen in something like this particularly when any one of us is just one lawsuit, tornado, heart attack, or cancer from poverty, and can never recover financially. My monday is not going very well. All take care, tell us if you need help, Paul. Will-alabama

[pseim]

Paul,
As others have said, thank God you left. Let us know if we can help

Paul

[Slither]

Thanks for all the good wishes. We need prayers for strength right now. God has given us an opportunity to participate in a unique way in building the spiritual treasury of the Church. However, it is a difficult path to follow. We are doing OK for now, and we appreciate your concern. I am fortunate to be able to call you friends.

We extended our rent up north for an extra month, but we are not sure where we will end up long term. Depends on so much that is uncertain right now.

I went down two weeks ago (just got back)... not much left to salvage. As many of you have heard, insurance may not cover the losses on the coast. I do not yet know if we fall into that situation, but it is not looking good.



Paul

289 FIA

2899464

408 Windsor

Toploader (wide)

3.07 rear

[rdorman]

That is terrible Paul. Have faith my friend.
Rick

http://www.ohiocobraclub.com
http://www.londoncobrashow.com

[nolastyankee]

Paul,
Not sure if it's where you want to end up, but there is a couple rooms here in NW Arkansas that you are welcome to for free. Just say the word.

Brian Carlson

Unique 9122 - 289 FIA Cobra - The Legendary "Spence" Car

[Slither]

After another trip down to the "war zone," I am quite discouraged. We are not finding much to salvage (no sign of my former toploader tranny :(). The insurance company is trying to find ways of not paying the claim. Any structural engineers out there? They want to bring in a structural guy to determine what caused the damage... wind or water. I keep trying to tell them we had a hurricane come through there... hello!... 150+ MPH winds...

Thanks for the offers guys. I appreciate your thoughts [^]. We are leaving to head back down into the area tomorrow to try to find anything worth saving. It is limited access by ID only, and only during the day. The area is now surrounded by razor wire [:O]. Armed guards are stationed at checkpoints for access (have been since about four days after the storm). There is still a curfew in the city. Mississippi had huge devastation from this storm. Yet, we do not get any coverage by the media. I heard from our insurance agent that 28,000 homes were lost in the three coastal counties. 22,000 of them did not have flood insurance. Difficult times...

Paul

289 FIA

2899464

408 Windsor

Toploader (wide)

3.07 rear

[will butterworth]

Paul--good to hear from you and the family are ok.Mississippi att. gen. is dueing 6 of biggest ins. co. on yalls behalf.Trying to leave yall high and dry.All damage was caused by water.So, they don,t have to pay.Same over in Al.Keep us posted, think friend Kelly came out allright in texas with katrina.God bless. Will-alabama

[Slither]

We have been camping for the last few months about 30 miles north of Gulfport. We commute into the area regularly to search the rubble piles. This is really quite futile, but seems to be somewhat cathartic ;) . Still no sign of the tranny... but I remain hopeful... there is still quite a bit of debris to tackle yet.

Here is a photo of what remains of our homesite. The front porch started right behind the bushes in the foreground and the back of the house was where the overturned green stairs are in the middle of the photo... that is about 50 feet back (though it doesn't seem like it).

3417

The corner of the cottage foundation is just barely visible on the right side of the photo, just slightly above the little pile of red bricks. Now, it is just a bare slab with tile on it...

I will try to post more pics later.


Paul

289 FIA

2899464

408 Windsor

Toploader (wide)

3.07 rear

[pgermond]

:(

Phil

427 Roadster, #4279436
Southern Automotive FE
3:31 and Toploader

Roseville (N.Cal)

[clayfoushee]

Paul, that is just heartbreaking.........I'm so sorry.

I'm guessing the insurance companies are trying to claim "storm surge" is a flood. What a maddening "technicality" since it was wind driven. It sounds like a class-action legal test could be in order, if they actually stick to that position.

Clay

'98 Unique #9299, 427FE side oiler (452.1-stroker), top-loader (close), 3.31 rear

Annapolis, MD

[Brent]

So sorry.

You are in our prayers.



Brent

[Slither]

Well,... here we are five months out of Katrina and things are by no means even close to normal in southern Mississippi... for anyone. I haven't had the energy to post over the last few months. We are still at the campsite, but good news... we hope to have a FEMA trailer on the property soon.

No resolution from insurance as yet... not exactly sure when that will be finished. I am trying to remain cautiously optomistic :o! We'll see...

It is official. The tranny is history... who knows, it may well have blown up to Tennessee for all I know... the wind was really bad ;)! The debris from the street, as shown below is now gone, and there was no toploader found. (It could easily have been scooped up by the monster equipment used in the cleanup.)

As you know, our homesite is pictured above in this thread. The first photo here is looking east down our street past our home site, shortly after the second round cleanup (the first round was a path barely wide enough for a car). The home site picture above was taken on the left side of this photo, between the first roof structure and the green roof structure in the background, looking south (facing right in the photo). I will be discussing this green roof later.

The second photo is taken by turning to the left (i.e. north) slightly from the first photo, but still looking somewhat toward the east. This is the roof structure from our home. It was a cape-style house with the second story inside the roof. You are looking into the second-story master bedroom through the doors on this end. It is now sitting in our neighbor's front yard across the street. This end was originally facing south, and the building was accross the street on the south side of the road :( behind the debris pile (right hand side of the first photo)!

The third photo is taken by turning to the left/north again about 90 degrees. This is the roof structure of the cottage that was behind the house. It was moved a long, long way! The house roof is to the right of this (second photo).

The fourth photo is of my pickup truck. This photo is taken down the street by the telephone pole past the green roof mentioned in the first photo above (third pole down in first photo), and facing north. My truck is next to the red Ford van.

The fifth photo is a close up of the passenger's side front of the truck. Notice the wheel cover and the hood in the pile just to the left of the van. The bright green/blue spot, to the left of the wheelcover, is the beginning of the rocker panel on the passenger's side.

Last photo: anybody want to buy a souvenier of hurricane Katrina :rolleyes:? The truck as it came out of seclusion.

[ralphscott]

Unbelivable Paul the pictures really show it. I don't know how you could find anything in those piles. Our prayers continue for you and your family. Sorry to hear it is taking so long to get the FEMA trailer onsite.

Ralph

[Slither]

Thanks Ralph, we appreciate everyone's prayers, as they are helping to carry us right now. This has been very hard for us, and eveyone else down on the coast... very depressing :(.

The check-points are finally gone, and now the sightseers are descending on us :o. I realize that people need to see it in person (it is not really possible to comprehend it without seeing it firsthand... the coast is simply gone), but it does not make it any easier to see out of town buses stopping so that folks can go out on the beach with metal detectors :mad:.

We hope to be in a FEMA trailer in a couple of weeks. I will likely be off-line for a while, starting in a day or two.

[pgermond]

Paul,

Our prayers and best wish to you and your family. Sitting out west it is hard to comprehend what you have (and still are) gpoing through as a result of Katrina. Thanks for posting the pictures - - it helps to keep those imagines at the top of mind and remind folks that it didn't end when the rain and wind subsided.

[will butterworth]

Heard Lousiana director of economic dev. giving some numbers at big meeting--fellow was almost in tears begging for any help, said La. had 235,000 home destroyed in the thirteen lower parishes. This is almost incomprehensible to fathom, magnitude of devastation. This didn,t count N. Orleans and Miss. where you are.Somebody sent pictures of giant cottonmouth snakes on destroyed oil derricks partially submerged but had some out of water. Man, god bless you, we continue to pray for all of you. Somehow ,we feel helpless in light of the devastation.Will-alabama

[gasman]

Paul, I heard an interesting report on Fox News earlier this week. According to the report, only 9 out of 66 counties had approved mobile homes/temporary housing. FEMA has "THOUSANDS" of brand new mobile homes that are piling up and cannot be delivered because of the zoning delays. Can you comment on accuracy of this? After the bashing the Govenor has taken, you'd think this type of approval would be swift.

[will butterworth]

office said 23,000 sba loan applications had been made but only something like a dozen had been approved.Lousiana would have come out better if they had officially declared war on the US.We have already spent over 300b. in Iraq for the war and infrastructure--schools--firestations--water--etc.Fridays 2 cents. Will-alabama

[Slither]

I am sorry Steve, but I am not aware of that issue. It looks like we are going to end up in a travel trailer for the duration... we don't qualify for a mobile home :(... not even the small park models.

That said, it will seem like a real step up the food chain to get into something a little bigger :cool: and at the same time be back on our property!