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We have lived in Florida for a total of 30 years, Irma was the first hurricane that we experienced. Our lights blinked 3 times and then stayed on and for one day the tap water was unusable. We had a supply of water, so we managed. Others were less fortunate. Power outages at the grocery stores and gas stations made fuel and food a problem but we managed. We live on high ground and have no plans to move.
Perhaps you should live in a place where the land is so valuable that the houses themselves are like 1/10th or less the value.
If my home was destroyed my homeowners would cover rebuilding. After Irma I was shocked at the mess left behind. If I hadn't already bought my house I would definitely have considered moving out of Florida altogether and I've lived here on and off for 50 years.
If my home was destroyed my homeowners would cover rebuilding. After Irma I was shocked at the mess left behind. If I hadn't already bought my house I would definitely have considered moving out of Florida altogether and I've lived here on and off for 50 years.
This thread is an excellent example of how people have troubles thinking hypothetically.
If all our everything was destroyed, we'd rely on family for a little while. If we didn't have family, probably get into an extended stay hotel for the short term while finding an apartment or small house to buy. Luckily have enough money to do so.
If something unforeseen happened that took away all the money, we're sufficiently knowledgeable about wilderness survival to create a makeshift tent or lean-to from debris etc. and camp out. We'd have to loot food somehow in a situation where EVERYTHING was destroyed and there was no help (again, no clue what would cause that).
Harvey, Irma and Maria cut a terrible swath through the US and our US territories. As the news trickled out many reporters interviewed devastated people who lost everything – houses, cars, possessions, and jobs. In Puerto Rico, many lost more than that, basically all the resources of a modern life such as power, communication, stores, hospitals, and transport. “But at least we’re alive!” so many said.
It’s shallow of me but I am so devoutly thankful it wasn’t me. Still, I’m haunted by the question “How do you start over when you have lost absolutely everything? “Hopefully, there’s aid from the government, churches, NGOs, etc. but …. what would you do if that aid is not soon enough and not enough enough? Some people have money in the bank (if they can get to it), others are blessed with true family and friends who will help them, but some people live lives of desperation paycheck to paycheck.
So, I'm asking the question – what steps would you undertake to rebuild a life for you and your family from scratch with little aid or money? No snark please, it’s simple to toss off a flip answer, but this is a serious question.
Depends a lot on the disaster. If I lose everything in a fire, for example, I'd still have access to the savings account I now have.
It would be harder if the disaster was a serious earthquake, because I may not be able to access my money then. So my other options in that case would be to go to the nearest Red Cross center and stay there.
If nothing else, I have my car and I might, maybe be able to count on my mom helping out (a very little) or even having a place to live again if I drive back to her house. But I wouldn't count on either of those things.
If I were able to live in my car, though, I'd take the time to go through all the options available to me from social services, like a cell phone and blankets and clothes, places to take a shower, things like that.
One thing that is totally different now than it was 3 months ago: I now have my SSDI coming in every month and that makes a world of difference. If I didn't, things would be very difficult. I also have the money from the first disbursement check in savings, and that makes a world of difference, too. It gives me many more options.
Of course, I'd miss my things and I could never afford to replace them all, but most of them aren't worth a great deal anyway.
So with the SSDI check coming in and living in my car, I could save up quite a bit of money over the next year while I figured out where to live.
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