Hurricane Irma Devastation Recovery

My name is John, and up until Hurricane Irma I lived on a 44' Gulfstar sailboat in southeast Florida for about 15 years. I've worked for 18 years in the marine industry performing deliveries and working as a shipwright, and all that I've made has gone into my vessel.

I spent everything I had to get that boat and keep it seaworthy. I made numerous preparations before the storm came, but when the mandatory evacuation order came through I was forced to leave my home to its fate. Upon my return I found little more than fragments.

Despite making preparations before Hurricane Irma hit, nothing I own survived the storm. My boat was literally blown apart, and I have been finding pieces of my home laying as far as a block away from the wreckage.

The damage suggests a tornado was formed by the hurricane winds, and it was powerful enough to completely remove the deck, tear out all of the bulkheads, and hurl everything inside overboard and into the air.

I find it hard to put into words how devastating the storm was to this area of town. Virtually all of the boats that were near mine are missing, sunk, or simply destroyed. Everything I owned was on that boat(photos, possessions, passport, etc), and it was my only home. Even though the storm has passed, I have nothing left to return to but wreckage and I'm left with little more than the clothes on my back.

With such complete devastation, there is hardly anything that I can salvage and I do not have the means to replace it in any capacity. I'm not really the type of person to ask for a handout, but at this point I don't have many options, so I've come here to seek assistance.

Anything you can do to help me recover from this disaster is greatly appreciated!

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I wish you all the best.