Jim & Ginny Studdert's Flooding Exp

So, my name is Brian Studdert and I am the son to Jim & Ginny Studdert and this is my parent's house. I currently live in Kingwood, TX and was not directly affected by Hurricane Harvey. As I know there are thousands of similar stories of devastation, this is our story. My parents live in Walnut Bend which is a nieghborhood on the Buffalo Bayou. Their house is 4 blocks from the bayou. They moved into this house 16 years ago in 2001. As life brings us all challenges as we age, this home had become my parents sanctuary of resting and peace.

On Tuesday 8/29 as Hurricane Harvey was finishing it's destruction the water came to a couple of feet to their front door in the morning and then by early evening that same day the water receded all the way back down to the street. They thought they had escaped without any water in their home. But only to awake early the next morning with 1' of water in their home which was a direct result of the controlled water releases from the Addick's and Barker's  Reservoirs into the Buffalo Bayou. Mom and Dad had to call for an evacuation and nothing was done in preparation for flooding as they thought as many others did that they had escaped. So my mom rode on the back of a jet ski that was pulling a canoe with my Dad and their dog, Deacon. They only had the clothes on their back.  

It wasn't until Sunday 9/3, 4 days later that I could attempt to get to and in their house that still had standing water. It was pure devastation. For the next 4 days my brother, myself and friends demo the house.

With the age of my parents and the risk of health issues from mold i have now brought in a professional contractor to complete the demo and start the dry out which will be 30 days before new sheet rock will be installed. There will need to be new flooring, new walls, painting and wall paper installed. Their pool will need to be drained and acid washed and refilled. But as much as important, all of their furniture will need to be replaced. Whether it got wet from standing water or not, most of everything has to be thrown away. The moisture in the house for a long period time creeps into everything.

The impact that this has had on our Mom & Dad has been overwhelming. As I stated, we know many others have been effected and we pray for their complete recovery. But as my brother's and my heart is so very heavy and sad, we are asking for help to restore our parent's house to the sanctuary for their speedy return.

So, if you are anything like me you probably wonder where does my money go when I donate to organizations like the Red Cross or United Way. You know and think it goes to someone to help them directly. But does it? Well, here is a platform that if you donate to you know exactly who the people are you are helping to recover. If you chose to assist and donate, the donations will go directly to the demo/ drying out of the house, restoration/ rebuilding (walls, flooring, painting) and replacing appliances/ furniture that was thrown away.

Thank you for your time and your considerations. God bless you all!

The Studderts