Disasters and Rebuilding - What is the state of affairs in your country?

Ok ATS this is a situation that is happening all over. I just went to a site that said people are still living in temporary housing because of the floods in Calgary last year, but that is only the tip of the global ice burg. We are all only one disaster away from losing our homes to mother nature. What about power outages and water contamination? Situations that are beyond you control can happen in the blink of and eye.
Even though some of us prep and anticipate SHTF scenarios sometimes no matter how much you prepare, everything is gone. What would you do where would you go? That insurance that you have been paying for all these years is worthless, why are we paying for some little mishap that they feel they can correct with little cost to them but if it is bigger and life altering you are on your own or not covered?

What is the current situation of all the calamities that happened in 2013, 2012, 2011 and on and on? Where are those people, how are they coping, how is their relief going? These poor folks seem to get swept under the rug.

I was going to list all the disasters but you know where they happened and they might even be in your own community and may not be recent but ongoing for years. Tornados, Floods, Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Power Outages and Water Contamination. How about Bayou Corne, that has kind of left the headlines. How are things progressing are insurance companies coming through, is FEMA or other agencies assisting and is there an end in sight? I am just wondering and if you have first hand accounts of the progress in your area, it is better than hearing from you than MSM because we know that today's disaster is easily replaced and not heard of again, but the suffering continues. Thanks and look forward to any and all replies. Pics of the current state would really tell the story too.

My parents live in Christchurch, New Zealand, which was hit by some fairly severe earthquakes in 2010 and 2011.

The family home was badly damaged and the whole suburb it was in was condemned as unsuitable for building, so the house was demolished, as are many others in the process of being done.

My parents are now well housed in a brand new home built on the other side of the city on land that has no such problems anymore, and are delighted not to be looking after a very large garden that was beginning to be a bit much of an effort in their 70's and 80's.

so overall....no problem at all thanks for asking.

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


Thanks for replying look forward to more first hand accounts of how the rebuilding is going for those that have had to endure the devastation of losing everything that they have worked for and survived. I am happy to hear your parents have been able to rebuild and be happier..

I have a dear friend working on the BP oil spill in Louisiana. While some folks think it's all been brushed under the carpet, the truth is that while the crews are smaller because the majority of the work of clean-up is done, they are still there and responding to reports of new impacts. They are also still analyzing all the data collected during the initial clean-up phase. Archaeologists, biologists and geologists are all reviewing all the data acquired during the clean-up and going back periodically to check their work and the after-effects. Lots of the students who got full employment for a couple of years have massive amounts of data in their field. Some will probably make an entire career from this data. The spill caused the most intensive survey of the coast that has ever been done. Before someone flames ---I'm not saying it was a good thing---just offering a bit of balance in pointing out that good things can come of disasters.

I think it has a lot to do with two things - the people in the area and the size of the impact.

I lived through the floods of '93 and there have been lots of tornados in my neck of the woods. Generally, the flood damage was cleaned up fairly quickly and most of the time, the local community organizes and has the process of trying to get itself back on its feet long before any federal disaster relief shows up.

But that's the just the farm/rural mentality in this area of the country. We do our best to pick ourselves up as much as we can.

I was wiped out in a flood in 2010. Lost the house / contents / car etc.

Good insurance got me through with no help from the Government. In fact they were a PITA.

All good here!

Thanks for asking.

P

reply to post by whatnext21


I live in South Louisiana. Disaster recovery is in our genes. Things go down. It sucks. You rebuild. All is good again until the next flood, hurricane, whatever.
1)Be as self reliant as possible. That means more than just "prepping." Know how to do things like minor car repairs, generator maintenance, minor home repair, mitigation techniques,etc.
2) Have a circle of support - meaning people like yourself, NOT dependents if you can help it(obviously you should take care of children and old people, the dependents to avoid are able bodied adults). Where you lack in supplies and skills, they can make up for it and vice versa.
3) Avoid taking government help. Post Katrina I took some FEMA $ because they kept saying I should on the radio. A year later, they arbitrarily demanded it back because my uncle also received money (I do not live with or have any financial relationship with my uncle- just the same last name). If you get on government bus, you are essentially a POW - you sign away any rights but doing exactly what they tell you can.
4) Always maintain a sense of humor.
5) Things will be crappy for awhile. But they WILL get better. Acceptance and moving on is essential. After Katrina, those who accepted their situation for what it was and then moved forward instead of dwelling on tragedy are the ones who are successful now.
6) While #5 is necessary, you also have to deal with your own mental and emotional issues before moving on to acceptance and forward movement. Also, at least for a little while after, have empathy and compassion for the other people impacted. The common experience you shared is something that will connect you forever.
7) If you process it, accept it, and build your life afterward, the whole thing will make you stronger.