Fay gone, but not the mess or mold

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Originally created 092208

Fay gone, but not the mess or mold

Georgia residents are on their own; they haven't qualified for

assistance.

Florida Times-Union - ville,FL*

By Gordon , The Times-Union

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-

online/stories/092208/geo_335129313.shtml

ST. GEORGE - Chauncey realizes he's on his own as he tries to

recover from the chest-deep flood that filled his home on the St.

s River a month ago.

He has fans blowing in every room and buys bleach by the case to

repeatedly wash down the walls.

" We've got it bad, " he said. " We've scrubbed and scrubbed. It's

still kind of a disaster, but we can still stay here and work. "

But just when he thinks his home of a year is dry and livable again,

moisture seeps from his wood floors and walls, a white film forms

and he has to move his furniture and start scrubbing again.

" We've got a little baby and can't have mold in here, " he said. " The

bleach smell is better than the mold. "

Many of his personal possessions - at least the ones he could

salvage - are drying outdoors on a deck. He decided to burn most of

his sodden furniture because it was easier than hauling it 30 miles

to the landfill.

" We got tired of hauling it off, " he said. " You can only go to the

dump so many times. "

Once his house dries out, Chauncey plans to replace his buckled,

warped wood floors with vinyl tiles.

He estimates it will take a year for him to get his house back in

order and replace his losses, assuming the river doesn't flood again.

He's also still drinking bottled water because health officials

haven't told him his well water is safe to drink.

Chauncey's neighbor, Marcus Reeves, isn't faring any better. But

he's more accustomed to it, having been flooded out his home five

times in the past 15 years.

" When that water comes through here, it's treacherous, " he said.

Mold 4-feet high lines every room in his home and is spreading.

Reeves said he plans to tear all the sheetrock from his home and

replace it after everything dries.

Chauncey is struggling with the fact that the federal government

isn't likely to provide any help in repairing his house or replacing

his belongings.

The Lowes store in Waycross helped with the gift of a refrigerator

and stove, he said.

What's disheartening, he said, is neighbors a few hundred yards away

on the Florida side of the St. s River are eligible for federal

aid for the same flood that soaked his property.

" When you go two bends up the river [in Florida] people qualified

for help, " he said. " I don't understand it. "

Even though the damage was extensive enough to qualify Florida

residents for aid, the accumulated losses in Georgia fell short of

the qualifying threshold, officials said.

Monroe " Bo " Todd, Charlton County's emergency management director,

said it's unfair that Chauncey and 14 other households forced from

their homes by floodwaters in the south end of the county can't

qualify for federal aid.

" It's the same storm that qualified Florida residents for help, " he

said.

Federal emergency officials are touring South Georgia, assessing

Fay's damage to roads and infrastructure. If the damage is extensive

enough, Georgia Emergency Management Agency spokesman Ken

said, residents could " quite possibly " qualify for help.

But federal regulations are very clear on how disaster aid is

distributed. Unfortunately, it's on a state-by-state basis,

said.

" Public infrastructure damages may do it, " he said. " But it may not

be enough for individual assistance. Money is distributed on our

lines of jurisdiction. Although it's not on the magnitude of

Florida, the struggle [for Georgia residents] is apparent. "

While there is a glimmer of hope federal aid will be offered to

homeowners, Reeves said he's not expecting any.

If he were to qualify for assistance, Reeves said, he'd like to use

it elevate his home so he won't have to worry about losing

everything he owns when the St. s comes calling again.

" Between working and coming home and sleeping, I don't have much

time to do nothing, " he said. " Red Cross has come out here. That's

the only help I've gotten. "

gordon.jackson@..., (912) 729-3672