Sally: Report from Ground Zero

[trof]

18. Lost power again.

But only for about 30 minutes.
Re-routing something on the grid, I think.
I about crapped when the TV went off.

Our neighborhood is like a war zone.
Trees down everywhere.
Some houses totaled with waist deep flooding.

Boats and sections of dock in yards.
Wish I had a way to send photos.

Clean up is VERY expensive.
Little or no insurance coverage for debris clean up.
The city (or county) will REMOVE storm debris, but it must be next to street.
To get all those trees and trash cut up and hauled TO the street is up to the property owner. Most have to hire private contractors with heavy equipment.

I'm probably looking at maybe $10,000 or more?
Maybe I'll start a go fund me page.

It's a vicious circle for retirees.
You have to take more out of your IRA (which counts as INCOME) to pay for the clean up, which...guess what?
Puts you in a HIGHER tax bracket which costs you even more.

This happened to us after Hurricane Ivan.
I wrote my *^%#$* repug congressman and got one of those one-size-fits-all nebulous replies.
"Thank you for your input..."
meh

I'm not a rich guy. We bought this house on the water 27 years ago when it was in the boonies and waterfront land in coastal Alabama was dirt cheap.
2300 sq ft and plenty for me and Miz t and Rosie.

OK, rant over.
Thanks for listening and many thanks for all the kind wishes.
trof