Blog: After the Storm, Part 3
Dec. 30, 2005 — -- ABC News' Eddie Pinder was on the ground in New Orleans in the wake of Katrina, one of the most destructive hurricanes to hit American soil. Here is the third and final part of his account of life in the storm's wake through the eyes of the Parker and Gasper Families.
Day 19: Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2005
Vanessa, James, Mr. and Mrs. Gasper and Terrence spent Monday night in Vanessa's dark contaminated house. Before I left them that night, Vanessa told me that there was no way in the world she would sleep in that house. She would rather sleep in the car. She tried that but police and military patrols drove by and told them that it was unlawful to sleep in their vehicles after curfew. So she went back into her home and found a way in the world to sleep there.When I arrived at the Gasper home the next morning, there was more stuff in the U-Haul truck. It was now halfway full. Vanessa was able to find more things in the home that could be saved. She found toys and other knick-knacks that she thought the kids might want. The Gaspers were also sifting through their mess to find something -- anything -- that reminded them of what their home once was. Mr. Gasper worked up a dirty sweat trying to collect a few small things. It moved from the important (family photos) to the trivial (plastic lawn chairs). James Parker, who was staying at this mom's house on Desire Street when Katrina hit, went over there to find enough salvageable items to fill one small duffel bag. It was mostly important paperwork. As they were carting and carrying things from the Gasper home to the U-Haul truck and arguing about whether they should check on the homes of family members and friends, they waited for the All-State Insurance adjuster to show up for his scheduled 9 o'clock appointment. His job was to assess the damage. Vanessa said, "All we have to do is leave the (expletive) door open and he can see that it's a total loss." I think she's right. Not even ABC's Extreme Makeover/ Home Edition could reconstruct that home. The All-State man, I think his name was Allen, arrived at a quarter to ten. As he took pictures and measurements, the Gaspers watched, followed and provided a running commentary. All the while convincing him that everything was gone. It was a tough case to make that the home was a "total" loss while standing in front of a U-Haul truck filled with belongings. So James volunteered that the contents of the truck contained the belongings of five homes. The destruction and damage was ruthlessly obvious but still the adjuster took hours climbing over furniture and crawling into rooms to take digital pictures of the seven rooms. During that delay, I took Vanessa back to her home and retraced her steps from St. Roch Street to the Superdome after Katrina hit. She showed me how high the water had risen. So high that a boat was able to pull up to her front gate. Then she showed me the drop off point on the I-10 ramp where her family reunited after the rescue team made several trips back and forth. We went to the Superdome where she reminisced about the dark hot violent days before she escaped to Houston. It's been a more than a month and they don't know how much longer they will be there.
Day 20: Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2005
A piece of New Orleans is in Houston now. The Gaspers and Parkers spent most of today cleaning, drying and disinfecting all that they brought back from home. Mr. Gasper says it's mostly odds and ends. Besides, the TV, pots, photos, computers and clothes, I saw what Vanessa brought back for her kids. Loreal was happy to see her stereo, some CD's and a brand new Algebra text book that cost $50. Tre, who spends nearly all of his time playing X-box football, got more video games and the trophies from the time when he was playing actual football on his school's team. Vajae showed me the new sneakers and clothes she was going to where on her first day of pre-school. She still hasn't seen her first day of school because, according to Vanessa, the city of Houston does not have pre-school for four year olds. Vajae's sister and brother are still waiting for their first day of school too. Vanessa is still dragging her feet on registration.
Today, I learned that the Gaspers were told by their insurance adjuster, Randy Hamrick, they have to go back to New Orleans. Why? To clean out their house before they can file a claim on their policy. Yvonne Gasper says that Hamrick told them they have to empty out every room and put all of their belongings on the sidewalk to take inventory of it. They can not file a claim at all until that's done. Two things you have to remember about that proposition. One: The Gaspers are in their mid-sixties. Number Two: Every thing that's left in their home is nothing more than the damp molded wreckage of a category 4 hurricane. I don't know how insurance companies operate but there's an old saying where I'm from -- "Even Stevie Wonder can see" that their home is a total loss. I'm not sure why All State is putting them through this exercise but it seems like an undue, even unfair, burden on them. I wonder if All State and other insurers are saying the same thing. We should check that out. This seems to happen after every catastrophe. Initially there's an onslaught of generosity and good will but then the cameras leave, the headlines disappear and the victims are left to fight their way through the red tape.
And a fight is coming. Grandma Gasper, the devout Christian who never says an unkind word, declared, "they are trying to screw us." She says All State told them that they're only getting $10, 800 for the contents of the home and $30,000 for home replacement from the flood insurance policy. They hope to get more on the home insurance policy but if not, the Gaspers are thinking about getting one of those free lawyers they see advertised on television -- www.peopleslawyer.net. The trip back to New Orleans is some time in the near future.
It seems like the good hands people -- All State Insurance -- dealt a bad hand to the Gaspers. But if you really want to know what it feels like to be in good hands, just look to Beth Wardecke. She was able to check off one more item on her list of good deeds to be performed for the Gaspers. Two bed frames and the mattresses -- 3 Queens, 4 twins and 1 full --arrived today. Despite this generous act of kindness which would put them all in beds for the first time in more than a month, there was trouble. Apparently, there were not enough Queen sized mattresses for the adults so distributing them became a long 2 hour display of disappointments and demands. No adult volunteered to accept a twin or full sized mattress so Grandma Gasper had to arbitrate and distribute. The bickering went on so long, they were perilously close to punishing a good deed until Vanessa wisely stepped forward to remind them that they hadn't even called Beth Wardecke to say thank you. They did. They settled down. And then, they went to sleep on those brand new mattresses.
Day 21: Thursday, Oct. 6, 2005
Thursday was the new Sunday at the Gasper and Parker homes. It was mostly a day of rest. Aside from a couple loads of laundry and an hour scrubbing hunter green plastic lawn chairs from New Orleans with water and Ajax, every one just coasted. A malaise is creeping in. They have been begun tapping the breaks after they've spent the last 4 days pumping the gas pedal. Even the children found time to go to the pool on the complex property. Yet there's still more to do.
The rental car has to be returned on Friday which means they will not have a car. And they don't have the faintest idea how the public transportation works. No one in the family of has a job. Vanessa says she has about $4000 of FEMA money left to spend. The children are not in school. The Gaspers have not received any of their fixed income checks and have been slow to investigate its whereabouts. Except for Vanessa's couch which she purchased with FEMA money, they have no furniture outside the beds which were delivered yesterday. They have to go back to New Orleans to clean out the wreckage from Katrina. Even Vanessa. She was struck speechless when I raised the question of what she plans to do about the remainder of her belongings in the home. She has not tried to contact her landlord in New Orleans to find out. During our interview today, Vanessa began talking about what she has to do, wants to do.
Vanessa talked about her top five priorities she wants completed by Halloween. Number one, she talked about putting her kids in school by Monday. Yet, she hasn't lifted a finger to do so. She talked about finding a job. She says she wants to take a step forward and earn more money yet I haven't seen her scouring the classifieds looking for good paying jobs. She's reluctant to go back to the same job she had at Family Dollar but that's a safe bet right now. Vanessa talked about buying a car. On Monday, the same day she plans to find schools for the kids, she is going with her brother and parents to a car auction. I'm betting that the car comes before the kids. She talks about having her husband James move out to live on his own. They were separated in New Orleans because he said his sleep apnea kept him from holding a job. Since he's still not working, he has to work out some other living arrangements. And lastly, she talked about scouting the Houston area for some storefront space to lease. She still wants to open a gift shop like the one that collapsed in New Orleans. A lot of talk for one month. I'll keep you posted on whether she walks the talk.
Day 22: Friday, Oct. 7, 2005
Following the Gaspers and the Parkers is like that line about a box of chocolates from the movie Forrest Gump , you never know what you're going to get. I arrived on Friday to learn that James was going back to New Orleans on Saturday. We just left New Orleans a few days ago so I was bewildered. He explained that not everyone was going just him, his mother and his younger sister. They had evacuated from New Orleans to Arlington, TX. Just like everyone else, they wanted to see their homes to asses and collect. Mom and sister were going to meet James in Houston and then drive from there to New Orleans.
The only other news was the arrival of more furniture courtesy of Beth Wardecke, the family's friend and guardian angel. Some of it was used. A few pieces were new. The distribution of this set- 3 sofas and two dinettes -- wasn't as trying and troublesome as disseminating the beds but they were still one dinette short. There are three apartments. Someone was going to have to make a sacrifice. The Gaspers got the most elegant of the dining room furniture but Grandpa Gasper complicated matters by insisting on taking the ottoman that belonged to someone else's living room sectional. The so called bachelors, Terrence Gasper and Clarence Flemming, countered by claiming the leather sofa and another piece of the sectional. Vanessa got a dining room table and six chairs. In the end, the everyone was taken care of. Only Grandma and Grandpa seemed completely satisfied. I did not see anyone call to thank Beth but I know they'll be able to do it in person. I've been told that they (and now including me) have decided to spend Christmas with the Wardeckes in Dayton, Ohio. You never know what you're going to get.
Day 23: Saturday, Oct. 8, 2005
James' mother, Yvette Burns, his sister Lynska and her two children, Logan and Paige arrived in Houston today. They had an emotional reunion. His mom cried. His sister cried. Few words were spoken. There was something about the embrace that said it all. They were all living in the same house on Desire Street when Katrina hit. They really hadn't seen each other since then. After a tour of the apartments, they got caught up and exchanged stories about their new homes. They told old stories about the lost homes. It's funny to listen to people talk about time as it relates to Katrina. Suddenly there's the life before Katrina and after. I call it B.K. and A.K. So 6 month old, Paige, was born B.K. and her first birthday party will be held A.K.
Since they're from New Orleans and newcomers had arrived, they cooked. They grilled shrimps in a glaze that included Barbecue Sauce and Jack Daniels. Enough Jack Daniels to make it illegal for them to drive to New Orleans. Yet their minds were focused on the trip ahead of them. They were leaving for New Orleans at 1 o'clock in the morning. (Actually, it turned out to be 1:40am CP time. I was there).
I think a national crisis is on our hands. The Katrina families are about to learn some things about insurance and it ain't gonna be pretty. I'm predicting there's going to be a flood of questions and demands that may make its way all the way up to Congress.
I spoke with the media relations person from All State Insurance on Saturday. I had a few questions specific to the Gasper policy and I had more questions about what a flood policy covers as opposed to a home insurance policy. Kim Whitaker was very helpful although she did not have enough information about the Gasper policy. She was going to get back to me on Monday after conferring with the adjuster, Randy Hamrick. When I asked Ms. Whitaker why the Gaspers were told that they had to travel back to New Orleans to clear out all of what's left of their belongings onto the sidewalk, she seemed bewildered too. She said she would look into that. But she reminded me that, it is always the insured's responsibility to take inventory of their possessions and tell All-State what they have lost. Though they may not have to clean out the house to do that.
I also learned that the damage to one's home because of a hurricane is primarily covered by the government mandated flood insurance policy (unless there's a significant amount of wind damage). Katrina was mostly a rain event. The problem is that the Gaspers could only afford a policy that awarded them $10,800 for the loss of contents in their home and $30,000 for home replacement -- meaning their home is a total lost. They, like many others, did not get the more expensive so called "deluxe" policy that covers the total value of the home because they never imagined their entire home would be flooded. And really, they picked policies based on what they could afford. In their minds, the home insurance policy would make up the difference if there is a gap between what flood covers and what they need to make themselves whole again. They are starting to learn that is not the case.
Kim Whitaker, of All State, says the Gasper home is valued at $82,000 which is far more than the $30,000 they will get if the flood claim is approved. The home insurance policy which the Gaspers have been paying for decades may never come into play. I think the most they can hope for from the home insurance policy is a few bucks for roof damage due to Katrina's winds. It's no wonder Mrs. Gasper says they are getting "screwed."
Day 24: Sunday, Oct. 9, 2005
Nothing happened on Sunday. I did not shoot anything. They did not do anything. James, his mother, Yvette and his sister, Lynska did not return from New Orleans. The rest of the family did laundry and went grocery shopping.
Day 25: Monday, Oct. 10, 2005
This morning I woke up to learn that James Parker and his family still did not return from New Orleans. They were supposed to be in Houston by 2:30am. Apparently, they made a few extra stops along the way including stopping to sleep at a rest stop. By early afternoon, they were back. Their Dodge Durango was stuffed to capacity with everything they were able to retrieve. The went in with low expectations. They came back with high hopes… The cat, Bandit, miraculously survived the ordeal. It has been more than a month since anyone fed or cared for him. Lynska, Bandit's mom, was emotional again as she marveled at the survival skills of her cat who apparently has 8 lives left. What's left of their home was transported to Arlington, TX. They were able to grab some TV's, VCR's, clothes, high school diplomas, artwork and family photos.
The rest of the family -- Vanessa, her brother Terrence and her parents -- spent the day looking into what was supposed to be a great deal on a car auction. Terrence said he had a connection but there's was a disconnect somewhere along the line. They were told that they were going to get a "first look" on cars for a dealers only auction on Tuesday. Godwin, their contact, escorted us to the secret location. After taking all of us 30 miles to a remote car lot, we were told that it was closed to the public and especially closed to ABC cameras. We went all that way for nothing. Vanessa and her parents were so upset with Terrence, they are refusing to go to the auction tomorrow.
The only thing that made today worthwhile was the arrival of more furniture from Beth Wardecke. This time it was bedroom furniture. I did not witness any squabbles but it's early. This family has been consistent about showing more attitude than gratitude. And I am right about it. I spoke with Beth tonight and she confirmed that the Gaspers and Parkers have still not called to say thank you for the last two shipments of furniture yet Beth is unfazed. She emailed a website that she wanted me to forward to the family. It's designed to help them navigate through the maze of charitable and social services. Beth Wardecke is remarkable. She puts the "angel" in guardian angel.In case someone other than the Gaspers and Parkers needs them:http://www.katrinarecovery.disasterhelp.gov/
Here is what she says it offers:
Disaster Assistance Available from FEMAHousing NeedsTemporary Housing (a place to live for a limited period of time): Money is available to rent a different place to live, or a government provided housing unit when rental properties are not available. Repair: Money is available to homeowners to repair damage from the disaster to their primary residence that is not covered by insurance. The goal is to make the damaged home safe, sanitary, and functional. Replacement: Money is available to homeowners to replace their home destroyed in the disaster that is not covered by insurance. The goal is to help the homeowner with the cost of replacing their destroyed home. Permanent Housing Construction: Direct assistance or money for the construction of a home. This type of help occurs only in insular areas or remote locations specified by FEMA, where no other type of housing assistance is possible. Other than Housing NeedsMoney is available for necessary expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster. This includes:medical expenses, dental expenses, funeral expenses, personal property expenses, transportation expenses, moving and storage expenses, and other expenses that are authorized by law.
Day 26: Monday, Oct. 11, 2005
Today was a learning experience. For me. For Tre. For Vanessa. For the Parkers.
Early this morning I arrived to find the kids were just getting up. Vanessa was getting dressed and today was supposed the first day of school. An actual learning experience. Vanessa and James really didn't have a plan except to drive up to schools in the neighborhood and ask if their children could attend. To be fair, Vanessa did have a sheet of paper containing a list of phone numbers and addresses but she pretty much randomly selected her options. Vajae, her four year old, was not suppose to come along for the tour of schools because Vanessa had been telling me that Houston does not have Pre-K. I learned that she was wrong.
Somehow our first stop was for Vajae -- Ed White, an elementary school less than a mile away. When we arrived, Vajae surveyed the landscape and being the vocal and opinionated child that she is… announced that she was not going to that school because it did not have a playground with a slide. She was right but for the wrong reason. She was not going to that school because Vanessa learned that school was not in their district. They were sent to Bush Elementary school and there they were told there wasn't a Pre-K slot available for Vajae. So they went to Mildred Rickard Landis school. That's where the parents really learned something about the way Pre-K works in Houston. They had class schedules for the children. You could send your child to school from 8a-11am or from 12n-3pm. It was just after 10am in the morning. Vanessa and James were not sure what to do so they agreed to discuss it with the grandparents who might be pressed into chauffer or babysitting service.
Next up was James III or Tre. He's a 13 year old 8th grader. The family arrived at E.A. Olle Middle School. Tre's only demand was that the school have a football team. A winning football team. He searched the site for a football field and did not see one so he was opposed to it. He later learned that they did have one. And they had a display case filled with trophies to prove that they'd won more than a few games. Mrs. Gullette, the registrar, processed Tre smoothly but slowly. Because he did not have a disciplinary or education problem, she was ready to take him that day. Some time after lunch he would take his classes -- Math, Social Studies, Physical Education, Language, Science, Speech and choir. Tre didn't resist at all. He spotted some kids from New Orleans and from his new neighborhood so he felt secure.
Loreal was a different story. She's a 14 year old high school freshman. Back at home, she was popular because she was the first and only girl on the football team. Now she is just another New Orleans evacuee. She said, "I want to go home. I don't feel like starting over." She was also completely against going to a school she heard bad things about -- Hastings. In the Alief School district, a computer randomly chooses which school a student will attend. For Loreal, the computer chose Hastings. James and Vanessa kept telling her to keep a positive attitude but she was morose. Disappointed. Heart-broken. Today, Loreal learned that some things are just out of your control. Things like hurricanes, for example.
The evening ended with a dinner hour discussion between Vanessa, James, and the grandparents about Vajae. As is their practice, the deliberations were long and repetitive. Vanessa said she didn't see the point of Vajae going to school for 3 hours a day because all she was going to do was color with crayons and take naps. Grandpa Gasper argued that Vajae should be in school to further her learning and relate to other kids. Mrs. Gasper was mostly silent. James really didn't take a position. He moderated and ended up taking all sides of every issue. The sticking point was transportation. The school is about a mile away and does not offer bus rides for the children. Without a car, Vanessa thought that dropping off and picking up Vajae would be difficult especially as she begins to find work. Even, Vajae got to weigh in. After she returned from her imaginary planet "Girls and Makeup," she argued that she should go to school because she wanted to ride on a school bus. After every one had a chance to say their piece, I learned that Vajae will not go to school until her mom buys a car. It was an issue of convenience. It seems, her parents have something to learn too.
Day 27: Wednesday, OCT. 12, 2005
What a difference a day makes. 24 little hours.
Loreal, Vanessa and James' 14 year old daughter, had something of an epiphany. On Tuesday, she was adamant that she didn't want to go to Hastings High. She missed her old school, Gregory High. She didn't know anyone at the new school. Plus she heard bad things about the school -- including rumors that kids from New Orleans were getting picked on by Houston students. But when I arrived Wednesday morning, Loreal was dressed and ready -- almost eager -- to go. She said her dad made sense when he told her to "suck it up" and deal with whatever comes her way. She was smiling, joking and grinning about her new hairstyle she fashioned the night before. She also reasoned that being in school was better than staying at home -- especially since her brother was in school.
The family arrived at the school before 9am to register. The only hiccup was Loreal's immunization records. They were sent to a public clinic for Hepatitis shots and Loreal was back in school before lunch. Just before she went in, her parents gave her some last minute advice about defending her self in school in case there was teasing. Her mom reminded her about all the good points on a person's body to strike during a fight. Her dad advised her not to look for trouble but to definitely "go for the throat" if it finds you.
It seems that Vanessa is waiting for a job to find her. She has changed her tune slightly about employment. She says she's filed for a transfer of her sales position from Family Dollar. And she's waiting on that. But at the same time, she's pursuing unemployment benefits. It remains to be seen whether she will get inspired to look for work while free money is routinely showing up in her bank account.
Day 28: Thursday, Oct. 13, 2005
Mr. and Mrs. Gasper have a car, home and flood insurance policy with All-State. What's the difference between assurance and insurance? According to dictionary.com: Assurance- A statement or indication that inspires confidence; a guarantee or pledge... Freedom from doubt; certainty.Insurance-Coverage by a contract binding a party to indemnify another against specified loss in return for premiums paid. The difference is clear when you check the meaning. Some forget that All State and other companies like it do not sell assurance, they sell insurance. I think the Gaspers are starting to understand the distinction. They no longer feel assured.
This morning, I spoke to a polite gentleman from the good hands people, Mike Trevino. Since he's a media spokesperson, I peppered Mr. Trevino with questions. First I wanted to know why the Gaspers would be expected to clear out the sludge and debris from their homes to make a claim. And I wanted to know what happens to customers like the Gaspers when there's a gap between what the flood policy covers and what their homeowner policy pays due to a hurricane. Katrina's damage to the Gasper's home on Mandeville Street in the 8th ward (and many of the homes in New Orleans) was largely due to the flood from Katrina's rain.
Mike Trevino was refreshingly honest. He was patient and thorough. He gave direct answers not necessarily specific to the Gaspers but applicable to their situation. This is what I learned in the simplest terms. Home Insurance covers damage due to fire, lightning, wind or theft. Flood insurance covers damage due to water only. Homeowners insurance covers water damage too but only the water from the top down not from the bottom up. In order for the Gaspers to collect on their home insurance, their adjuster would have to find that the a good amount of Katrina's rain came from a hole in a roof caused by wind. Mrs. Gasper thinks that would explain some of the damage. But so far, their insurance adjuster is doubting her theory. That means the most the Gaspers would be able to collect is roughly $41,000 total to replace all the contents in the house including the house itself through the flood policy. They say their home is worth over $80,000 and they estimate they have tens of thousands of dollars in personal effects. I asked Trevino what happens to people like the Gaspers who didn't buy the policy which covers everything including the home's total value? Mr. Trevino said simply, "they are without insurance protection." That answers that.
On the other question, Trevino said he didn't think it was necessary for a retired couples like the Gaspers to work through the contaminated muck and empty out the contents of their home onto the sidewalk. An insurance company never cleans out a destroyed home in any case. It's the insured's job to tell All State what they've lost. Trevino thought an itemized list of possessions supported by receipts would be sufficient enough to satisfy the adjuster. That should have been a source of relief for the Gaspers but now Mrs. Gasper actually wants to go back to New Orleans to go through the process of cleaning out the house to take an account of everything. She thinks it would be good idea to see the loss, take pictures, and catalogue it so there won't be any doubts when she tells All State that she's entitled to the full amount for content replacement. Over the last 2 days, Mr. and Mrs. Gasper have started to make a list from memory of everything they had in their house of 7 rooms, 2 baths and 1 garage. I saw it. It was 11 pages long and growing. It wasn't finished yet but it already had 121 items including a washer, dryer, sofas, chairs, televisions, stereos, tables, crystal, china, pots, linen, appliances, furniture for 3 bedrooms and a grandfather clock. I'm no adjuster but it looked as if it will probably total more than the $10,800 they're due.
As Mrs. Gasper read through the fine print of her policy, she said, "I'm starting to feel deceived." She thought her policy meant she was completely covered for whatever nature delivered even though she admits that she basically took the minimum that was required by the lender. To be fair, I reminded her that there were other, more expensive polices available to her that would have covered all the contents of the home and the total value of the home itself. She says they bought they policy they could afford. She claims she didn't know enough to ask her insurer if the policy meant she would be covered in the event of a category 4 hurricane that floods streets and homes for weeks, kills over a thousand city dwellers, forces the evacuation of millions who leave with just the clothes on their backs, destroys everything they own and renders the home inhabitable for who-knows-how-long. For some reason, neither she, her husband or the insurer raised that possibility when the contract was signed at the office. So the Gaspers walked out feeling assured when they were only insured.
Day 31: Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005
This morning, I accompanied Mrs. Yvonne Gasper to the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church here in Houston for the 7:30am service. Reverend Dr. Marcus Cosby's sermon referenced Paul's letter to the Ephesians about the power of the church. Reverend Cosby used this text to remind the congregants that the spirit of the church is to show love. For the last couple of days, Grandma Gasper has been praying for her insurer, All State, to show empathy. And her prayers have been answered.
If you will recall, the Gaspers have car, flood and home insurance from the good hands people. Lately, they have been completely annoyed by one particular finger on those hands. They say they've felt "screwed" and "deceived" by All State because they have figured out that they will ultimately take a loss on compensation for the full value and contents of their home through their flood policy. An estimated differential of $50,000. In a spirited discussion about the matter, the Gaspers finally recognized that it's not All State's fault their family couldn't afford a policy that would have paid more. They just wished they didn't have to be doubly punished by the effects of a devastating hurricane and the after effects of inadequate insurance. But those worries are almost gone because All State has decided to make good on its advertising slogans. Since my last writing, the insurer has decided to pay off the Gaspers the maximum amount on both their car and flood insurance policies.
On Friday and repeatedly throughout the weekend, Randy Hamrick and David Tankersly have called to tell them that their checks are in the mail. That means they will be fully compensated for the blue book value ($3400) of their 1995 Buick Century which "drowned" on St. Roch Street. And the company is going to give them $10,800 for contents and $30,000 for home replacement. The good hands' guys also told them they no longer have to worry about making an itemized list of their belongings. And there was a bonus. Some of the damage to the roof -- about $7000 worth -- would be repaired through monies received from the home insurance policy. This is really the best that they could hope for but they're still underinsured. Then another prayer was answered. According to what Hamrick and Tanskersly told Mrs. Gasper, the shortfall between what All State pays and what the Gaspers need to make them whole again should be covered from some sort of FEMA supplement. All she needs to do now is fill out some paperwork.
They may get even more money through the home insurance policy because of mold damage to the home. That's why they have a morning meeting on Tuesday with All State representatives outside their home on Mandeville Street. So we're going back to New Orleans on Monday. Plus the Gaspers want to calculate and catalogue their losses for FEMA officials. They will clean out their home themselves or look into hiring a contractor. Things could ultimately work out favorably for the Gaspers. It could be attributed to Mrs. Gasper's deep abiding faith in God. As she will remind you, the Scriptures say in James 5:16 ; "the effectual fervent prayer ...availeth much."
Day 33: Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2005
This will be my last dispatch for a while. I'm leaving the Gaspers, Parkers and Clarence Fleming until I find my way back to Houston. I'll come back for major moments, I hope.
Yesterday, the Gaspers had a major moment that left them filled with hope. They are back in New Orleans cleaning out their home on Mandeville Street of the sludge and damaged possessions Katrina left behind. The story began at 9 o'clock in the morning. As they were cleaning out, a woman and a man identified by Mrs. Gasper as David Tankersly from All State arrived. I have to rely on her identification because the man basically scurried like a mouse when he saw my camera. He did not tell me his name and refused to be on camera. I, of course, continued to take pictures of everything else except him. Still he ran. It was comical to watch him dodge me. Mrs. Gasper told me that Tanksersly told her that he didn't want to discuss anything with her as long as I was around. Even after I walked away, he would not tell her anything about the mold and the water spots in her home and if they plan to cover it. Mrs. Gasper became suspicious saying, "There's something under-handed going on. Because if he is on the up and up and he's straightforward, it wouldn't matter if you or anybody else overheard what he was telling me." At issue is whether the visible water spots all over the ceiling will be covered through her home insurance policy. It could mean thousands of dollars in compensation. We'll never know until David Tankersly comes out of hiding.
After All State left, James Parker, Terrence Gasper, his dad, Grandpa Gasper and a friend, Kendall, began the arduous task of throwing the soggy belongings of 3 homes onto the sidewalk. Terrence was cleaning out his home as a requirement from his landlord in order to get his security deposit back. The Gaspers were cleaning out their home in order to account for items they will claim as a loss through a FEMA compensation program. The work was hard. The day was long. It was high heat as the temperatures rose above 90 degrees. But weather worries was a topic of discussion for another reason. Hurricane Wilma was hundreds of miles away and not necessarily threatening New Orleans or Houston yet they could not seem to distance it from their thoughts and minds. Irrational hurricane fear is the new normal. Katrina's legacy is to leave it's victims with a heightened fear and respect for everything from a category 1 sun shower to a category 5 hurricane.
Because Katrina left everything in the Gasper home damp or soaked, things were heavier than normal. It would also break apart as they tried to lift it. After hours and hours of trekking back through debris, the Gasper's entire life possesions began piling up on the sidewalk like garbage. Pause for a moment and think about that. Everything she owned, everything she paid for was on the street. Wrecked. Wet. Unable to be used. Mrs. Gasper said it was "weird" to witness. Two refrigerators, a grandfather clock, sofas, chairs, beds, mattresses, 16 pairs of shoes, encyclopedias, clothes all gone. Each item carried a salient memory. One particular item, a decades old Lionel Electric train set arrested Mr. Gasper. He toyed with it. Cleaned it off. And then wept as he vowed to make it good as new.
But Mr. Gasper never showed any signs of depression or disappointment. While her mind was focused on what All State will do next, she remained positive. "All you can really do is trust God. I know that He blessed me with this house. He will bless me with another one. And I think it will be even better. There's something a lot better on the way. I just believe that."
One personal note: I have spent more than a month with this family and they have adopted me. I have fallen for them too. I will carry their story … their struggle in my heart for some time to come. I will miss 4 year old Vajae the most. Her moments of child like wisdom were priceless. Like Mrs. Gasper, I'm believing that God will bless this family. FEMA and charity will not be enough. It will soon disappear. Yes it has helped them get on their feet but it's up to them to stay on their feet. Vanessa, James, Terrence and Clarence need jobs. They need cars or funds for public transportation. Vajae needs a school. They will all need permanent homes. They need medical insurance. James and Vanessa need to figure out what they're doing with their marriage. I need a break. Be back soon.