COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Six months after Hurricane Helene, families across the Midlands are still recovering. The owners of one Fairfield County home left six months ago after the hurricane swept through, leaving their home with no power and a laundry list of damage. The family of six, with one baby on the way, has been displaced from their home, still unsure of when they will return.
“It’s frustrating, I hate it for my kids. They are sleeping on the floor. I keep telling them it’s temporary, but we are going on six months, so we have to do something”, said Ikeiya Blakely, a mother and homeowner.
It was the morning after the hurricane; the power was out, and trees had fallen around the home, so the Blakley family left to visit grandma until their power turned back on. Mom, Dad, and four kids all packed up in the minivan. But what was supposed to be just a week trip has turned into six months.
“It’s just frustrating. I look at it, and I’m sad. I’m just like, I want to be home in my own space with my kids, raising my family, but we now we are just waiting”, said Blakely.
Once the power was restored, the Blakely family told WIS they returned home, but when they did, they were met with several issues. They noticed cracks in the walls, uneven flooring, a crawlspace that they said flooded, and other damage throughout the home.
“It’s not too much visually; you can see there are cracks in the ceiling that are beginning to spread, a lot of the damage is underneath the house the crawlspace flooded our ducts are in our crawlspace.”
A FEMA inspector came out, and within a few days, they received an official FEMA letter saying the “Home is not safe to live in because of disaster caused damage. The amount of money you got is based on the damage FEMA’s housing inspector saw”.
The amount the Blakely family received was $1,500, pennies compared to what the family said contractors quoted them to fix the repairs to make the home habitable.
“Duct work we were quoted about $10,000, for the mold repair and treatment, I think it was $13,000… [FEMA] asked for the contractors’ estimate and it was only 10% of what the costs are, that’s not going to make our house habitable”, said Blakley.
The family is now sharing a 2-bedroom apartment with their grandmother in West Columbia, commuting daily for necessary tasks and work. The family filed an appeal requesting that FEMA review their application, requesting more financial aid so they can get back into their home.
“It feels like a slap in the face. I wasn’t expecting a response that quick; it was really only a week after the inspector came, but it was really only a percentage of what you ask for,” said Blakely.
They again told WIS they provided all of the quotes and information about their case. According to a spokesperson with FEMA, appeals take between 60 and 90 days but could be longer because of all the damage in the state.
The Blakleys turned to their insurance company, but in a denial letter they received, their company said, “Your policy excludes coverage for flood and back-up of sewers or drains”. Last week, FEMA came out to inspect the home again; now they’re in the same spot, just waiting.
“It just doesn’t make sense. You say my home is uninhabitable, inspectors say it’s uninhabitable, it’s not safe. You didn’t approve me for rental assistance; you only approved me for fifteen hundred for repairs; my repairs are going to be probably upwards of $30,000. It just doesn’t make sense”, said Blakely.
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