Hurricane Henri Rossmoor Mutual relief

This GoFund Me request might seem delayed, but I am asking for your help after 4+ months of exploring all options for relief from the devastating floods , caused by Hurricane Henri, which impacted my Mother-in-law’s community.

In the early morning hours of Sunday, August 22nd , Hurricane Henri dumped 9 inches of rain in Rossmoor, a senior community in Monroe Township, NJ.  Over one hundred homeowners woke up to completely flooded homes, some with as much as 3-4 feet of water and mud running through them. Cars completed submerged. Rescues were being conducted via boats taking residents to higher ground. Many of these homeowners lost everything, and many are still not able to return to their homes after 4 months. 

Because it was a flood, there is no insurance coverage from their home owners policy, as their area was not deemed “in a flood zone”.  Also there was not enough damage countywide to engage FEMA. The Rossmoor association held some insurance, which helped pay for remediation. The Red Cross,  the Monroe Township Public Library, and Rossmoor residents (organized by the Rossmoor church) devastated by what happened to their neighbors, helped by giving gift cards and small cash donations. This combination of community support raised approximately $3,000 for each impacted  household. The recipients were so grateful for this relief generated by their local community, but sadly more is needed.

The homeowners are left with the cost of replacing cars, rebuilding, replacing furniture and paying for other living arrangements. This is a significant impact to these seniors, with costs estimated to be near $50,000 for material loses, many of  whom live on a fixed income. To add insult to injury, there is no relief on their taxes and association fees even though their homes are uninhabitable. 

The emotional impact alone is weighing heavy, topped off by the impact of the pandemic.

I want to continue to help the people in this mutual, and I hope you can find it in your heart to do the same. No amount is too small. I plan to distribute the funds evenly to those neighbors in my Mother-in-law’s mutual. 

Thank you for reading this call for help.