WEBVTT 00:00:05.250 --> 00:00:12.530 Whenever it started, we started moving our vehicles to the top of the road and by the 00:00:12.530 --> 00:00:19.690 time we got the vehicles moved, the water had already hit our ankles in the house and 00:00:20.350 --> 00:00:29.530 so I grabbed my purse and my little pug dog and my husband grabbed the dog food and put 00:00:32.140 --> 00:00:36.680 By the time we got out into the driveway, it was already waist deep and 00:00:36.680 --> 00:00:39.820 there was sticks and that kind of thing. 00:00:40.940 --> 00:00:45.460 I didn't think I was going to make it, but we did make it out and 00:00:46.140 --> 00:00:49.980 we made it to the top of the road and we were kind of stuck there for hours 00:00:49.980 --> 00:00:54.860 because we couldn't get out any of the ways because it was flooded all the way around. 00:01:00.430 --> 00:01:04.470 Finally it receded enough to where we could actually get out 00:01:04.470 --> 00:01:08.830 It was probably like close to midnight and it started like five six o'clock in the morning 00:01:11.250 --> 00:01:17.830 We just lost everything that we had didn't even have a brush for like three days 00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:40.040 Yeah, so when the hurricane storms hit North Carolina, hit our home, my daughter and my 00:01:40.040 --> 00:01:45.560 wife and I were actually out of town, but unfortunately, my dad, who was still home 00:01:45.560 --> 00:01:52.520 and my mother was staying at our house with our animals, and the water has got so high 00:01:52.520 --> 00:01:57.900 that it actually lifted between that and the tornado that came through or microburst is 00:01:59.800 --> 00:02:04.680 lifted his home and the house that I grew up in and crashed it into our barn. 00:02:05.140 --> 00:02:11.120 It took away his business, took away all of her tools and tractors and everything 00:02:11.120 --> 00:02:16.500 needed to keep the farm going. And my mother was trapped in the house and there 00:02:16.500 --> 00:02:19.960 was no way to escape because the water got so high the only thing she could do 00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:23.120 was ride it out and wait till the waters came down. 00:02:25.550 --> 00:02:29.650 So we've been doing a little bit of battling with our insurance and FEMA. 00:02:29.990 --> 00:02:35.370 We did have proper insurance with flood insurance and homeowner's insurance. 00:02:35.690 --> 00:02:40.830 But since we had proper insurance, FEMA's not been able to assist us with a whole lot of things. 00:02:43.370 --> 00:02:50.150 And again, we've been having some issues with trying to get some payout for our insurance in a timely manner. 00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:59.430 Before the structural engineer even came out in order to get our flood payout and 00:03:00.320 --> 00:03:03.380 To me that was not really acceptable 00:03:06.200 --> 00:03:10.120 Not not so much, you know again 00:03:13.220 --> 00:03:18.660 I'm hoping so and we might need we need some assistance with that we reached out to an attorney 00:03:20.220 --> 00:03:21.700 North Carolina Farm Bureau 00:03:25.910 --> 00:03:28.130 Yep, that's what we're after here, so 00:03:37.730 --> 00:03:40.930 I've heard different stories from others and a lot of folks are 00:03:42.510 --> 00:03:45.490 And I've heard some good instances of even Farm Bureau 00:03:45.490 --> 00:03:48.730 themselves, but in my case, they'd 00:03:48.730 --> 00:03:50.710 sent out a third party adjuster immediately. 00:03:51.330 --> 00:03:53.570 Well, they wound up firing that third party adjuster group. 00:03:54.530 --> 00:03:56.890 He gave us a quote for a much higher estimate 00:03:56.890 --> 00:03:57.790 than what we received. 00:03:58.930 --> 00:03:59.970 And then he got let go. 00:04:00.310 --> 00:04:01.030 Yeah, he got fired. 00:04:01.290 --> 00:04:03.730 So then they brought in another third party adjuster 00:04:03.730 --> 00:04:04.810 to come in and low ball us. 00:04:05.510 --> 00:04:07.050 We've not received any kind of. 00:04:07.370 --> 00:04:10.610 So the flood insurances are primary insurance. 00:04:12.550 --> 00:04:17.390 So, there was roof leaks in the home that the inspectors found the adjusters. 00:04:18.170 --> 00:04:22.430 Well that contributed to us losing some of our personal properties that come in the third 00:04:22.430 --> 00:04:28.270 story where there's no, or second story living space, where the flood, well above the flood 00:04:28.270 --> 00:04:28.650 waters. 00:04:30.630 --> 00:04:37.910 So, they neglected us for, yes, yes, she saved, yep, she's right here. 00:04:38.750 --> 00:04:40.870 So we've yeah, we made it 00:04:42.150 --> 00:04:42.870 That's right 00:04:44.990 --> 00:04:48.810 Did you think you were gonna make it you didn't think so 00:04:50.230 --> 00:04:55.050 So you were sort of on a boat your house became a big quarantine 00:04:59.090 --> 00:04:59.610 I 00:05:04.930 --> 00:05:07.530 was next door to the house and 00:05:09.470 --> 00:05:18.210 My son was out of town so when he came in to shaw it to my sisters he called about two 00:05:18.210 --> 00:05:25.390 in the morning because at midnight the water was still in the stream and then the banks. 00:05:26.770 --> 00:05:37.070 So when he called the water was coming up so I started moving vehicles up to about 5.30 00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:45.740 And she was in the house and I pulled up to the steps and I said hop on the fender and I'll get you out 00:05:46.500 --> 00:05:49.880 Well, he built a beach house on stills 00:05:49.880 --> 00:05:52.688 five times higher than the floodplain and 00:05:55.200 --> 00:06:00.620 She said well, he said I'd be okay, so I'm staying with the dogs 00:06:01.440 --> 00:06:02.180 so I 00:06:02.688 --> 00:06:05.808 went to higher ground with some vehicles hers included and 00:06:07.760 --> 00:06:09.400 The water covered everything 00:06:10.100 --> 00:06:13.120 But I've already seen it come around both sides of my place 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:19.840 so I got my blind and deaf dog and a bag of variables and 00:06:21.060 --> 00:06:26.050 Took up off the side of the hill behind my house and then 00:06:27.820 --> 00:06:34.160 Was heading to the cemetery back there because I knew it was open because there was trees falling and 00:06:35.820 --> 00:06:36.980 right uprooting 00:06:37.640 --> 00:06:39.160 It was raining. 00:06:39.980 --> 00:06:41.700 You never saw it again like that. 00:06:41.780 --> 00:06:43.700 No. No, I've been three floods. 00:06:43.900 --> 00:06:44.340 There's never been it. 00:06:44.380 --> 00:06:46.160 All my life around there. 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:47.620 Never been it. 00:06:47.780 --> 00:06:48.360 Never been it. 00:06:48.700 --> 00:06:50.900 But you're okay, right? 00:06:51.140 --> 00:06:51.320 Yep. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:53.440 House destroyed. 00:06:54.340 --> 00:06:55.460 We're gonna help you out. 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:57.040 We're gonna help you out. 00:06:57.120 --> 00:06:57.940 I appreciate it. 00:06:58.540 --> 00:06:59.460 Thanks for being here. 00:06:59.480 --> 00:07:00.600 Anybody else? You guys okay? 00:07:07.340 --> 00:07:12.760 We have some trees falling into our house, which our house goes back four generations, 00:07:13.380 --> 00:07:19.440 80 years, and never came close to flooding, and we woke up with trees about 4.30 or 5.00 00:07:19.440 --> 00:07:23.880 in the morning, and our house sits three tenths of a mile back off the road. 00:07:24.530 --> 00:07:29.190 And the water, you know, we've had flooding and such in the lake, but nothing like we saw. 00:07:29.890 --> 00:07:36.210 And like most everybody else, we moved five vehicles as far up, lawn mowers and everything else. 00:07:36.550 --> 00:07:38.150 And the water started coming in the house. 00:07:39.340 --> 00:07:42.840 And when I got up to about an ankle high, we have a loft. 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:47.580 I got her up in that and tried to gather what you might want, which was totally random. 00:07:48.060 --> 00:07:53.480 And when it made it to the loft and started getting up to about her hips, I built a little 00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:58.440 makeshift ladder and we got out on our roof and we spent four hours on the roof. 00:07:59.180 --> 00:08:00.420 I had a little baggy. 00:08:00.640 --> 00:08:05.720 I did notes on my cell phone to my two kids and my two grandkids. 00:08:07.870 --> 00:08:10.210 something to identify me in case we were lost in it. 00:08:10.210 --> 00:08:11.390 Did you think you were going to make it? 00:08:11.690 --> 00:08:12.950 No, well, we were. 00:08:13.110 --> 00:08:13.470 Oh, you did? 00:08:13.550 --> 00:08:15.350 Yeah, we did think we were going to make it at all. 00:08:15.470 --> 00:08:17.190 I mean, our house was 25 feet underwater. 00:08:18.230 --> 00:08:19.050 So you didn't think you were going to live? 00:08:19.210 --> 00:08:23.830 No, we were watching houses, trailers, bodies coming by us. 00:08:25.110 --> 00:08:31.030 And we lived in the Azalea Road area in East Asheville, O-Team. 00:08:32.070 --> 00:08:33.530 We watched our garage float by. 00:08:33.890 --> 00:08:34.290 You just left out. 00:08:34.490 --> 00:08:34.670 Yeah. 00:08:35.960 --> 00:08:40.800 But, you know, we got to a point where it crested about four feet up on the roof. 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:45.300 We took about three or four hours for it so we could kind of do everything in reverse 00:08:45.880 --> 00:08:48.160 and got out in the mud to higher ground. 00:08:49.860 --> 00:08:54.140 And I got out higher ground up to a subway and got over to a... 00:08:54.870 --> 00:09:00.650 Her daughter's house where when she saw that I didn't have her she lost it. I was like, she's okay 00:09:00.650 --> 00:09:06.230 She's alive and we tried to make our way back in there and gather things best we could but 00:09:06.230 --> 00:09:08.730 You know found a body right away 00:09:08.730 --> 00:09:11.870 We had there's about eight bodies in our area that first two weeks 00:09:11.870 --> 00:09:14.870 Located and we were lucky we weren't one of them and blessed 00:09:15.950 --> 00:09:21.650 but like other people no insurance on flood insurance, so we had to depend on FEMA 00:09:22.300 --> 00:09:25.460 they did what they could do and of course it's not enough. 00:09:27.820 --> 00:09:32.280 Yeah, that's crazy, but again, we're thankful to be alive, but it's a long haul. 00:09:32.400 --> 00:09:33.000 What are you doing now? 00:09:33.340 --> 00:09:34.120 Staying in the camper. 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:38.220 I've never been, if y'all have noticed I'm a big guy, I don't sleep in campers very 00:09:38.820 --> 00:09:39.220 well. 00:09:39.800 --> 00:09:43.880 And the first night we spent in the camper, very grateful with the Asheville Dream Center 00:09:43.880 --> 00:09:45.120 coming through with one. 00:09:46.280 --> 00:09:47.240 And you saw the land? 00:09:47.740 --> 00:09:49.040 Oh yeah, it's family land. 00:09:49.180 --> 00:09:52.280 The land, it looks like a beach now, it's sand, but I... 00:09:52.280 --> 00:09:53.500 Can it be built on it? 00:09:53.800 --> 00:09:54.040 Yes. 00:09:54.340 --> 00:09:55.300 Do you intend to do that? 00:09:55.610 --> 00:09:59.590 Yes, Samaritan's Purse. We're working with them. We're working with people. 00:09:59.850 --> 00:10:02.550 We, you know, it's 80 years for generations. 00:10:02.890 --> 00:10:03.950 But the house is totally gone. 00:10:04.170 --> 00:10:06.930 No, the house is there. It's down there. Yeah, they came in and muttered it. 00:10:07.450 --> 00:10:09.130 But everything in it was completely destroyed. 00:10:10.850 --> 00:10:15.890 But yeah, it's tough. I think we're at a point in Asheville where people forgot about Asheville. 00:10:17.150 --> 00:10:19.270 And it's stagnant. Everything is stopped. 00:10:19.730 --> 00:10:19.870 Oh, yes. 00:10:20.090 --> 00:10:21.110 Yeah. Thank you, sir. 00:10:21.530 --> 00:10:22.590 We appreciate that. 00:10:22.750 --> 00:10:23.370 We're going to take care of it. 00:10:33.990 --> 00:10:43.070 right down the road. We had only purchased in May. And to big church, we're a small congregation. 00:10:43.710 --> 00:10:48.690 And I had people say, what are you going to do with this big building? And I said, only 00:10:49.900 --> 00:10:53.400 And we had our dedication and the storm came the next week. 00:10:53.940 --> 00:10:56.220 And the outpouring of people. 00:10:56.680 --> 00:10:58.580 My son brought the first load of supplies. 00:10:59.480 --> 00:11:03.620 And from there, I stayed there for about three months. 00:11:04.260 --> 00:11:06.240 I slept on the floor for about three weeks 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:07.900 because the need was so great. 00:11:10.180 --> 00:11:12.140 The people were so devastated. 00:11:13.470 --> 00:11:18.830 I said, I want to be here for them, and they were coming in just day and night, so there's 00:11:18.830 --> 00:11:20.370 really no need for me to go home. 00:11:20.990 --> 00:11:28.450 But we had people from Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Indiana, Oklahoma, people from all 00:11:28.450 --> 00:11:28.710 over. 00:11:29.110 --> 00:11:32.230 We have not received any help like from the government or anything. 00:11:32.690 --> 00:11:37.970 But I said, Lord, if you want us to do that, people, all over the states. 00:11:42.940 --> 00:11:43.420 wasted 00:11:44.170 --> 00:11:47.170 the locals and the people that knew us. 00:11:47.370 --> 00:11:50.050 And before the week was over, 00:11:50.690 --> 00:11:54.310 our church was so packed with supplies, 00:11:54.530 --> 00:11:56.390 we couldn't even walk, 00:11:56.630 --> 00:12:00.070 even in our sanctuary, it was up to the platform of things 00:12:00.070 --> 00:12:01.810 and in our halls and in our rooms. 00:12:01.970 --> 00:12:04.610 And we're just now beginning to get a little straightened out. 00:12:05.230 --> 00:12:07.310 But somebody said, how long are you gonna be here? 00:12:07.890 --> 00:12:09.650 I said, I'm gonna be here through the winter 00:12:09.650 --> 00:12:11.470 and even on if possible, 00:12:13.220 --> 00:12:19.488 When you meet people that's been through the struggle, I had a little lady come up and I 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:25.140 Said can we do anything special for you and she said I don't want to be selfish 00:12:25.140 --> 00:12:27.280 But so could I have a cup of coffee? 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:32.460 and I handed her that coffee and she stood there and tears just poured. 00:12:33.140 --> 00:12:36.280 She said, you don't realize how important 00:12:36.280 --> 00:12:41.100 that the little things. It's not the big things in life that we have, 00:12:41.480 --> 00:12:45.000 but it's the little things and knowing that God 00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:46.040 is our source. 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:50.540 Look to man, I don't have to have a lot of things. 00:12:51.160 --> 00:12:57.740 I had trees, about 20 trees down in my yard, but that didn't really matter, doesn't matter. 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:02.640 Because the needs of the people is what I want to be there for. 00:13:03.140 --> 00:13:05.480 God is good. He's very good. 00:13:06.200 --> 00:13:10.720 And my daughter now, her house is really in bad shape. 00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:14.600 Now let her tell you about that, but thank you president. This is our president. 00:13:15.520 --> 00:13:17.380 We appreciate you so much. 00:13:19.820 --> 00:13:27.040 I live out in the Fairview area of North Carolina and near the back cave, Lake Bloor area. 00:13:28.020 --> 00:13:30.940 And our area was hit. It was hit really hard. 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:37.900 I was home alone and my husband had stayed in town because we take care of a little lady 00:13:37.900 --> 00:13:42.780 that's 98 years old and she lives out in woods by herself and I said just stay with her and 00:13:42.780 --> 00:13:48.380 make sure that she's okay and I got it the next morning and my first thought was I want 00:13:48.380 --> 00:13:50.260 to go see what our road and bridge looks like. 00:13:51.100 --> 00:13:56.180 So, as I was making it down to the road and the bridge, there was no road and bridge. 00:13:56.960 --> 00:14:01.940 And so, you know, here we are, we're like a little island, you know, we can't access 00:14:01.940 --> 00:14:03.240 the main road or anything. 00:14:04.600 --> 00:14:10.340 And then the fire department came by the next day and said that they were evacuating me 00:14:12.590 --> 00:14:17.310 was going to come and they told me to get my stuff and get ready and so while 00:14:17.310 --> 00:14:20.350 I was getting my stuff and getting ready there was a knock at the door so I 00:14:20.350 --> 00:14:24.270 thought it was the fireman and I went to the door and there stood my 21 year 00:14:24.270 --> 00:14:30.170 old son his name's Nathan and he had drove as far as he could to get to me 00:14:30.170 --> 00:14:32.610 but he hiked five miles 00:14:33.130 --> 00:14:36.550 And it took him a really long time and he got there and he said, he said, 00:14:36.630 --> 00:14:38.070 mom, grab a bag, we gotta go. 00:14:38.510 --> 00:14:41.530 And I said, son, there's no way I can, I can hike out of here. 00:14:41.750 --> 00:14:43.950 And he's like, no, he said, we gotta go. 00:14:45.210 --> 00:14:49.370 So we, we started hiking out and I, I seen one of my neighbors who. 00:14:51.830 --> 00:14:58.070 She had no clothes on her, her skin was like chunked up. 00:14:58.310 --> 00:15:00.030 It was just, she was blue. 00:15:00.370 --> 00:15:07.030 She had been in the waters and where she had went, or I don't know, but it. 00:15:07.960 --> 00:15:14.200 horrific is just all I can say. But then as me and my son hiked on out, we went 00:15:14.200 --> 00:15:18.640 through where this this place we call it Craigtown, but there were like a lot of 00:15:18.640 --> 00:15:23.560 family members there that passed away, like 11 of them, and and there there were 00:15:23.560 --> 00:15:26.820 people out everywhere looking for their loved ones, and there were there were 00:15:26.820 --> 00:15:30.920 dead bodies, you know. My son's like, Mom, you're gonna see things you don't want 00:15:35.640 --> 00:15:38.660 I stayed at our church in our sound booth. 00:15:38.820 --> 00:15:41.780 My husband and I, we just slept up in the sound booth for a couple of months, 00:15:41.780 --> 00:15:45.680 because we didn't have power or anything for about two months out there. 00:15:46.260 --> 00:15:47.860 And then we. 00:15:48.440 --> 00:15:49.640 We have went back. 00:15:50.040 --> 00:15:52.280 I've been fighting with FEMA since day one. 00:15:52.860 --> 00:15:55.480 Our community, there's like 32 homes. 00:15:55.940 --> 00:15:57.280 We don't have a road in the bridge. 00:15:57.620 --> 00:15:59.240 We're driving through our neighbor's property. 00:16:00.700 --> 00:16:02.820 You know, I went to EMS and I said, 00:16:02.860 --> 00:16:05.160 look, my concern is if we have a fire 00:16:05.160 --> 00:16:06.800 or we have an emergency out here, 00:16:07.220 --> 00:16:08.520 you're not gonna get to us. 00:16:08.800 --> 00:16:10.660 You can't get those big trucks up here. 00:16:11.160 --> 00:16:14.320 And I've called and called and called FEMA. 00:16:17.620 --> 00:16:21.280 This happened on September 27th, that's four months ago. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:25.140 Well for us today it's still September 27th. 00:16:25.320 --> 00:16:26.540 You know, we haven't had help. 00:16:27.340 --> 00:16:29.120 And so when I talked to FEMA, 00:16:29.640 --> 00:16:31.140 I explained on the road and the bridge 00:16:31.140 --> 00:16:33.300 and they sent me a letter that tells me to. 00:16:33.790 --> 00:16:38.250 to basically fix it and send in my receipts and they'll refund me some money. 00:16:38.810 --> 00:16:42.770 I'm only going to have a road and bridge that honestly, the bridge itself is probably going 00:16:42.770 --> 00:16:47.870 to be $300,000 and the road could be close to that also because we have to have, the 00:16:47.870 --> 00:16:49.830 community has to have big boulders brought in. 00:16:50.270 --> 00:16:51.430 We're not a rich community. 00:16:52.010 --> 00:16:53.410 We can't fix it ourselves. 00:16:54.170 --> 00:16:59.050 you know, it's just, and as far as like house repairs, I'm still pending. 00:16:59.350 --> 00:17:04.190 I can't get money from FEMA until I fix the road and bridge and send in my... 00:17:04.430 --> 00:17:11.370 My proof that it's fixed and everything, it's just, it's been a nightmare and I totally 00:17:11.370 --> 00:17:13.630 feel like that we have been forgotten. 00:17:13.890 --> 00:17:20.410 If it had not been for our fellow American citizens who stepped up to help us, I don't 00:17:20.410 --> 00:17:21.510 know what we would have done. 00:17:21.830 --> 00:17:26.230 I have five neighbors around me who completely lost everything. 00:17:33.230 --> 00:17:38.290 entitled I'm embarrassed to even say I need help because you know and sometimes 00:17:38.290 --> 00:17:43.990 there's even that that that survivors guild is what they're calling it but you 00:17:43.990 --> 00:17:47.410 feel guilty even be alive sometimes you know when you look around you see your 00:17:47.410 --> 00:17:52.250 neighbors that are gone and it's just you know we need help I wrote a letter 00:17:52.250 --> 00:17:56.030 that to send to Congress you know I don't understand what's going on 00:17:56.440 --> 00:18:00.160 If we can get FEMA help, then will you guys help us? 00:18:00.340 --> 00:18:02.260 Will you step up and be our fellow citizen? 00:18:02.760 --> 00:18:05.560 Will you step up and be our neighbor and send us something? 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:06.240 Help us. 00:18:06.300 --> 00:18:07.800 Help us get our community back. 00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:10.060 I could go on. 00:18:10.200 --> 00:18:11.640 It's just a, I don't know. 00:18:11.720 --> 00:18:12.280 It's just heartbreaking. 00:18:13.160 --> 00:18:14.500 I appreciate you. 00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:17.600 Good daughter, you have one. 00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:19.280 Yeah, he's a good one. 00:18:19.420 --> 00:18:20.080 Take care of mama. 00:18:20.730 --> 00:18:22.110 And your son must be great. 00:18:22.410 --> 00:18:23.370 My son is great. 00:18:23.650 --> 00:18:25.050 No, he sounds like a real leader. 00:18:25.810 --> 00:18:26.850 He really is. 00:18:27.110 --> 00:18:27.930 To hack in? 00:18:27.950 --> 00:18:29.450 How would you have been if he didn't come and get you? 00:18:30.250 --> 00:18:30.990 I don't know. 00:18:32.510 --> 00:18:34.310 I'd just been there until. 00:18:34.950 --> 00:18:36.270 Because the only thing we could do, 00:18:36.330 --> 00:18:37.550 there were no way to get out there. 00:18:37.910 --> 00:18:39.070 The only thing we could do is just 00:18:39.070 --> 00:18:40.250 to pack up to the church. 00:18:40.910 --> 00:18:47.730 the first church that was up there about three miles to get, you know, maybe what we needed or something. 00:18:49.550 --> 00:18:51.650 He is. Thank you. 00:18:53.050 --> 00:18:58.190 Again, thank you very much, everybody. So we're going to be here, we're going to be working with our congressmen and women, 00:18:59.090 --> 00:19:06.250 and they're going to do a job, and Michael Watley is going to be very much in charge, and you'll get it done.