We have been in the construction industry since 1976. In November of 2004, one of the principles got a phone call to come to Pensacola, Florida, just after Hurricane Ivan came ashore. We were told that the communities had experienced so much devastation that if “anyone could read a tape measure, their help was desperately needed." At the sheer desperation in the person’s voice, we loaded up and headed south, not knowing the insurmountable obstacles that awaited us. What we experienced was anyone's worst nightmare coming true. No one told us there would be no hotels to stay in because they were all damaged. No one told us there would be no power. No one told us there would be no gas. After driving all day and night, it is hard to explain what we saw once we arrived.
Ten-story condominiums were ripped apart, commercial buildings had no roofs, and for 100 miles, houses were damaged and destroyed. The only place to sleep was in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Thousands of people showed up to help. Within two weeks, 80% of them had packed up and headed home. We stayed and worked for almost half a year. We brought food and bedding for displaced families sleeping on the floors of churches and schools (the ones that were still standing). We helped negotiate, renegotiate, repair, and rebuild damaged properties and had the privilege of helping people rebuild their lives.
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