Support the pickering Family After Devastating hurricane

Hurricane Helene storm surge came so fast we didn’t have time for our emergency exit, which would have included grabbing so much more. The water started coming in the house and holding doors shut. We weren’t sure how many feet were going to come in after they said it would be like Idalia, which only came close to our house but not in it. I thought the worst while holding my three cats in carriers and my two giant dogs on my mattress, surrounded by this nasty sewer-smelling water. I thought at least one, if not all of us, would be stuck in this house as the water fills and we’d drown. Phil BRAVELY climbed out our bedroom window that the water was almost level with and swam in flood waters our whole 1/3 acre to find our kayak. The water was pouring in the window, and he shuttled each animal to our neighbor's boat. Moog couldn’t fit in the kayak, so he swam (injuring his paw). We left with nothing but these animals and the drenched clothes on our backs. I shed my coat to swim easier. When we were on the boat, we were finally safe from drowning, but it was still raining and cold, and the boat didn’t have much coverage, so we huddled all over the cats and dogs. The cats were terrified, wet, and covered in their own poop. It was so cold and scary hearing transformers blow up, car alarms going off, the sound of rescue boats, wind, and rain. We waited hours in hopes of rescue, but no one came. When the water was ankle-deep, Phil went into the house and checked it out to find everything destroyed. Phil’s truck is destroyed, flooded, and caught fire. A few things we could salvage. The Jeep somehow made it, but we had to put a new starter in her that day. We are slowly washing all our clothes to have clothes to wear. They are soaked, so it takes even longer. We need to get a hotel or something, we need everyday things, dogs need new toys, we need food, etc., while still paying our regular bills and had to take days off to try to clean the house. Due to the high volume of houses damaged, flood insurance can’t come out to assess until next week. So we get no money to help with anything until then. We were already barely making it before the hurricane. We also have over 15k in deductibles to get any money. Help us get by until we get SOMETHING from insurance. Anything helps.