[Choir] Fwd: Hurricane Matthew and the Pearsons #4

[Richard Riley]

This update from Brooke Pearson, for those who haven't heard from him
directly. He's stayed remarkably positive following a truly difficult last
three weeks.

Dick

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <bropear at comcast.net>
Date: Tue, Oct 25, 2016 at 3:47 PM
Subject: Hurricane Matthew and the Pearsons #4
To: "Pearson, Brooke" <bropear at comcast.net>
Cc: "Pearson, Betty" <epearson at accessus.net>


Good afternoon -

To start, some of you are getting this e-blast for the first time, others
for just the second time.  Sorry, we're doing our best to include everyone.

Second, thank you to those who have responded to earlier emails.  But
please don't feel any obligation to respond.  When all is said and done,
this is our means of sharing our situation with you - there is no need to
respond (unless you want to say "Remove me from this group").

Third. it has been twelve days since our last message.  They have been busy
and productive and uplifting days!  And we're doing fine!

So, here's the news:

We got to Fripp on Friday, October 14, the day after folks were allowed on
the island.  The destruction on the island and at our house was
incredible.  Three feet of sea water had bashed through our garage doors
and flooded our entire first floor, essentially destroying everything
there.  Most of that was furniture, etc. that the former owners had left.
But some was stuff that was important to us - Betty's water colors, art
supplies, and homemade cookbook, and our correspondence back and forth from
Vietnam.  We're hoping to salvage much of the latter.

On Friday, we had power, but no water or sewer.  We spent hours lugging
water logged furniture out of the house.  We also ripped up carpeting and
dragged it outside.  It had been a week since the sea water had bashed in
our garage doors and the door into the house; mold was already growing.  On
Saturday, we called the HVAC person we had spoken to over the summer, and
he came right over.  After telling us that the air conditioning compressor
and HVAC air handling systems would have to be replaced, he looked at us
and asked, "Could you use some help?"  After having spent hours trying to
mitigate our loss and unloading our rental truck, our exhausted response
was "Yes."  He immediately called a contractor on the island, who showed up
shortly thereafter and who has been our contractor ever since.  He arranged
for five people to show up on Sunday and spend five hours here removing
soaked sheet rock, insulation, and debris; putting in dehumidifiers and
fans; and giving us hope.  In addition, our realtor and two other men from
his church came over and helped us unload and move into the house some of
the heaviest pieces of furniture.  We returned (a week late, but no
problem) our rental truck to Penske in Beaufort and had the most needed and
satisfying shower and pizza with friends on Lady's Island, where we spent
last winter.

On Monday, much of the ceiling on the second floor was removed (we had had
shingles torn off the roof and resultant leaking, as well as siding blown
off two sides of the house).  The flood insurance adjuster and the
homeowners insurance adjuster both showed up on Wednesday.  Electricians,
plumbers, gas people have all been here - all more than once.  And just
yesterday and today, all of our destroyed furniture, etc., which had been
sitting outside, was picked up and hauled away.  I can't give you a
day-by-day description of what we've been doing; all I can say is that we
have been swamped.  And that everyone with whom we have worked has been
incredibly available, caring, competent, and helpful.  Water and sewer have
both returned, so we can cook, wash dishes, and shower.  And, since our
living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom are all on the second floor, we
are managing to survive reasonably well - we're just getting very tired of
the sound of all of the dehumidifiers and fans running constantly on the
first floor.

As I said, the destruction on the island is truly hard to comprehend.
Every bit as devastating as Irene in Vermont.  But, just like Vermont, it
is an extraordinarily beautiful place with people who love it and will work
hard to restore it.  We are a part of that.  We look forward to visits from
friends young and old, Vermont and other, any time.

Brooke and Betty
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