Jobes Family 2016 Flood Relief
Donation protected
My name is Jason Jobes. This is the story of Jim and Marybeth Jobes, we call them mom and dad.
For 35+ years our parents have lived in Baton Rouge. Their quaint 3 bedroom house on Donaldson Drive where they called home as newly-weds, where they brought my sister, Samantha, and I, home from the hospital and where we brought our kids (their grandkids) many years later to enjoy the quiet neighborhood which proved to be the foundation for our family.
And then August 12th happened.
Morning of August 12th: Samantha and I received a concerned call from our parents. They needed help moving furniture because they worried about the coming water that “may” flood the house. While the deluge of rain came down, we were able to get our family's priceless pictures, home videos, and our grandparents antiques either to their attic or a storage facility half a mile away, presumably safe from the water. After moving everything we could, while water was rapidly rising, the family evacuated for their own safety.
The waiting game began. Every hour, we checked the flood stages. With each update the outlook deteriorated. While flooding was eminent, the magnitude of the destruction was unclear. Into the evening, our family continued to hope and pray for the best, knowing the worst was always a possibility.
1:00 AM on August 13th: Mom began having difficulty breathing and it became apparent she was in respiratory distress. A woman who has not seen a doctor since 1991, we knew times were dire and dad decided it was time to call EMS. Rushed to the hospital, she was admitted for acute respiratory failure. Now, not only did the family have to prepare for a historic flood, but the cornerstone of our family was now battling for her life.
The next 72 hours all we could do was wait. Wait to see if mom's condition improve. Wait to see the damage to the house. Simply wait to see what to do next. In the midst of waiting, with her husband and brother-in-law in tow, Samantha went to check on the house. It was then that the first glimpse of the devastation was seen. As she paddled up the street the house came into view. The unthinkable had happened. She could barely see the roof top of our home on Donaldson Drive. Those precious articles and prized possessions we had moved to the attic only a few days before were simply gone. As Samantha continued to get closer a faint meow was heard. As they got to the house, one of the outside cats we could not locate earlier in the day had miraculously made his way to the rooftop. They paddled over, made their way onto to roof, consoled the cat, and for the first time Samantha sat down to soak in the pure and utter destruction.
August 16th (four days later): Samantha took dad to check on the house, knowing the worst had happened. They were greeted by the National Guard who was going house to house breaching doors to check for individuals who had failed to evacuate. Upon entering our home, still in 18 inches of water 96 hours after flooding began, they laid eyes on the destruction. The ceiling had given way and simply collapsed under the water weight. All that was left was a jumble of sheetrock and studs. The storage shed where we moved their property also sustained several feet of water, everything there was damaged as well.
August 17th: All is not lost. Thanks to the great care provided at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, and in particular Dr. Patel, mom's condition improved enough to go "home"- wherever that may be. What is known, is that the house on Donaldson Drive is no more.
Mom and dad continue to take things one day at a time, and at points, hours at a time. Any money raised will go to helping our parentst put the pieces back together. All they have left is what they squeezed into their cars when they left the house under the assumption that this would be a typical rain storm. Additionally, while mom had health insurance, funds will also be used to offset the expense of her 4 day hospitalization.
As my father confided in me, "we are good people. I don't know what we did to deserve this. But we are safe and that is all that matters."
Jason and Samantha Jobes on behalf of the Jobes Family
Mom and Dad
Samantha with Roscoe on the roof
The "Living" Room
The first look at the house- it subsequently went up another foot
Together we can get through anything
For 35+ years our parents have lived in Baton Rouge. Their quaint 3 bedroom house on Donaldson Drive where they called home as newly-weds, where they brought my sister, Samantha, and I, home from the hospital and where we brought our kids (their grandkids) many years later to enjoy the quiet neighborhood which proved to be the foundation for our family.
And then August 12th happened.
Morning of August 12th: Samantha and I received a concerned call from our parents. They needed help moving furniture because they worried about the coming water that “may” flood the house. While the deluge of rain came down, we were able to get our family's priceless pictures, home videos, and our grandparents antiques either to their attic or a storage facility half a mile away, presumably safe from the water. After moving everything we could, while water was rapidly rising, the family evacuated for their own safety.
The waiting game began. Every hour, we checked the flood stages. With each update the outlook deteriorated. While flooding was eminent, the magnitude of the destruction was unclear. Into the evening, our family continued to hope and pray for the best, knowing the worst was always a possibility.
1:00 AM on August 13th: Mom began having difficulty breathing and it became apparent she was in respiratory distress. A woman who has not seen a doctor since 1991, we knew times were dire and dad decided it was time to call EMS. Rushed to the hospital, she was admitted for acute respiratory failure. Now, not only did the family have to prepare for a historic flood, but the cornerstone of our family was now battling for her life.
The next 72 hours all we could do was wait. Wait to see if mom's condition improve. Wait to see the damage to the house. Simply wait to see what to do next. In the midst of waiting, with her husband and brother-in-law in tow, Samantha went to check on the house. It was then that the first glimpse of the devastation was seen. As she paddled up the street the house came into view. The unthinkable had happened. She could barely see the roof top of our home on Donaldson Drive. Those precious articles and prized possessions we had moved to the attic only a few days before were simply gone. As Samantha continued to get closer a faint meow was heard. As they got to the house, one of the outside cats we could not locate earlier in the day had miraculously made his way to the rooftop. They paddled over, made their way onto to roof, consoled the cat, and for the first time Samantha sat down to soak in the pure and utter destruction.
August 16th (four days later): Samantha took dad to check on the house, knowing the worst had happened. They were greeted by the National Guard who was going house to house breaching doors to check for individuals who had failed to evacuate. Upon entering our home, still in 18 inches of water 96 hours after flooding began, they laid eyes on the destruction. The ceiling had given way and simply collapsed under the water weight. All that was left was a jumble of sheetrock and studs. The storage shed where we moved their property also sustained several feet of water, everything there was damaged as well.
August 17th: All is not lost. Thanks to the great care provided at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, and in particular Dr. Patel, mom's condition improved enough to go "home"- wherever that may be. What is known, is that the house on Donaldson Drive is no more.
Mom and dad continue to take things one day at a time, and at points, hours at a time. Any money raised will go to helping our parentst put the pieces back together. All they have left is what they squeezed into their cars when they left the house under the assumption that this would be a typical rain storm. Additionally, while mom had health insurance, funds will also be used to offset the expense of her 4 day hospitalization.
As my father confided in me, "we are good people. I don't know what we did to deserve this. But we are safe and that is all that matters."
Jason and Samantha Jobes on behalf of the Jobes Family
Mom and Dad
Samantha with Roscoe on the roof
The "Living" Room
The first look at the house- it subsequently went up another foot
Together we can get through anything
Organizer and beneficiary
Jason Jobes
Organizer
Acy, LA
Mary Jobes
Beneficiary
