Support Shannon's Recovery from Hurricane Helene

Hi. My name is Shannon and I have lost everything in Hurricane Helene.

I don't really have the words to describe it, but devastated and distraught come close.

As many of you know, we flooded in Hurricane Idalia last year, which set flood records for our area. Flooding that our area hadn't seen since the 1993 No Name storm. This was our 1-in-30 year storm.

In the Idalia flood, we sustained 7 inches of water damage and had been displaced for nearly a year while wrangling insurance, FEMA, and contractors.

In August, the nightmare was finally over and we were able to return home. New furniture, new floors and walls, new appliances, and life was back on track.

The flooding damage with Helene was worse than we could have ever imagined. Helene smashed all of our area flood records that Idalia set the year before.

The damage has been substantial and all of our flood mitigation preparation made almost no difference.

Our home sustained several feet of water damage. The water was over our countertops. Almost everything we own has been destroyed. Outside, our deck was split in two, and our picnic table was carried away.

Our area still does not have power as there are still homes with water inside. The power company does not want to turn the grid back on for fear of causing fires because of how corrosive saltwater is. To get power restored to your home, a licensed electrician must certify to the county that the outlets and wiring on your home have been replaced ($$$).

Because of this, mold has begun to set in and our home is unlivable. Because it is a recurrent flood, the home may require drastic remediation (potentially a full rebuild), which is more than what would be covered by insurance.

I am in the midst of reliving a traumatic event I experienced last year on a significantly intensified magnitude.

We have four cats, two dogs, a chicken, and a turtle who have all also lost their home and all of their items.

Please keep us in your thoughts during this difficult time and please share our fundraiser. We appreciate any and all assistance.