FYI: Where I'll be...

[BrianG]

Yeah, the basement gets a little water every year around this time (usually more so in June), but nothing even remotely close to this. Seems to steadily be getting worse year by year, but no one expected this level.

Turns out the city buyout is only for a select few homes. After this is all done, I'd sell the place, but who the hell is gonna buy a flood-prone house in this market? Even when I do get everything replaced and cleaned up, it's only a matter of time before it happens again and back to square one. Just want to walk away from this place.

Ugg. I wanna go punch something...

[simplechamp]

Originally Posted by BrianG

Turns out the city buyout is only for a select few homes.

How does that work out? I would guess there will be a lot of people in your situation who are saying "Why are these particular houses getting bought out, and not ours?" Maybe you can explain the details I'm missing, but it seems like a select few are getting a bailout, and the rest are getting screwed. I suppose that's par for the course in our governing system...

[georgec]

Wow, sorry to hear it all =( We recently had what they are now calling a 500yr flood in the middle TN area, 22" of rain in less than two days. FEMA was able to help allot of the flood victims. Maybe there is something they can do financially for you? Anyway good luck!

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by simplechamp

How does that work out? I would guess there will be a lot of people in your situation who are saying "Why are these particular houses getting bought out, and not ours?" Maybe you can explain the details I'm missing, but it seems like a select few are getting a bailout, and the rest are getting screwed. I suppose that's par for the course in our governing system...

I'm not really sure how that works. The gov't (fed, state, and local) probably figures it would be cheaper (and safer) in the long run to buy out the property than to continue paying out benefits via FEMA every year. And anyway, you'd be surprised how many people choose to stay and rebuild knowing there is more than a good chance it will happen again next year. I suspect fraud; they claim whatever, get the check, then go out and get the cheapest stuff at garage sales or whatever, and pocket the rest. Personally, pocketing a few bucks is not worth dying for if the water rises while you are sleeping. I think that if people refuse the buyout, they should be exempt from future benefits of any kind.

Originally Posted by georgec

Wow, sorry to hear it all =( We recently had what they are now calling a 500yr flood in the middle TN area, 22" of rain in less than two days. FEMA was able to help allot of the flood victims. Maybe there is something they can do financially for you? Anyway good luck!

Yeah, that's what they are calling it here too; "100 year" or "500 year" floods. I think it's supposed to mean it happens once every 100/500 years, but I'm beginning to think it means the floods lasts 100/500 years! And regarding FEMA, yeah, they can probably help out, but the same crap is going to keep happening.