Helping Hurricane Irma's Victims

Sebring, FL was particularly hard hit by the effects of Hurricane Irma last September.  Gathering strength as the storm swirled across the Caribbean, its winds clocked near 185 mph, the storm's heavy rains and high winds blew debris, toppled trees and wrecked havoc with power lines leaving 98 percent of the Highlands County without electricity for a week or more.  Governor Rick Scott declared Sebring the second hardest hit in the state.  Five months later blue tarps still cover roofs where the storm ripped shingles off.

That was the situation when Tim and I arrived on Feb. 11, 2018 to join a Habitat for Humanity disaster recovery team.

Tim

Although we weren't directly involved in contacting affected residents and assessing their needs, Tim and I worked to finish a pair of homes by the end of February for two families displaced by the storm.

The Powells

The Powells with their baby and toddler have been living in a motel since their house was destroyed.  The other family of six is also eagerly awaiting their move-in date.

Mike and Cory

To meet that deadline, our zany site manager Mike and his cool assistant Cory ordered our tasks.

Rick

We set up ladders,

Linda

painted,

Doug

laid flooring

Tim and I

which even Tim and I learned to do,

Fran

painted,

Sandy

set tile,

Tom

painted,

Dave

installed baseboard

Leon

and frames around the doors,

Nanci

painted,

Paula

caulked seams,

Chris

painted,

Bucky

hung doors inside, outside and

over the garage entrance,

Diane

painted,

and poured concrete driveways and sidewalks in the final stages of construction.

Oh, and did I mention?  We painted.

Ed

We also took well-deserved breaks as needed.

Along the way to our deadline, we forged friendships with members of our team and did our best to ensure that this cute little guy has a safe and secure home.