Support Carl and Jody's Recovery from Hurricane Debby flood

Hello!

We are Carl "Doc" and Jody Valvo, we lost our home to Tropical Storm Debby flooding on 08 05 2024, in a non-flood zone neighborhood. All 85 homes were affected.

My husband and I waded out of our neighborhood in waist deep high water with 1 back pack a piece which included, one set of dry clothes, a week's worth of our medications and our wallets on Monday, 08 05 2024, leaving behind our past, our cherished photos and everything we owned that we could not carrier over our heads stuffed into a back pack.

Our street flood first making it impossible to travel by any type of motor vehicle. Boat rescues did not happen until Tuesday, 08 06 2024.

Our home along with our neighbors stayed under water from Monday 08 05 2024 until Friday 08 09 2024 contaminated by raw sewage and fuel mixed in the flood waters.

We boated into our neighborhood to see the devastation of our home Thursday 08 08 2024 dodging debris, water snakes and since its Florida a gator.

Upon entry of our home flood by 28" of contaminated water, we realized the extent of damage to our family home. It is actually easier to list what was saved than what was lost.

During the rise of the water - we manage to hoist a Family heirloom Grandfather Clock onto the dinning room table to save it. We also managed to lift his great great great parent's Parson Table as well. Everything else was lost. Just look at your home 4' to the floor image all is gone. Due to the raw sewage and fuel mixed into the flood waters we were considered a BIO-Hazard Level Three at a minimum. We needed Waders and Gloves to touch our possessions. The stench was overwhelming.

Our entire home had to be MUCKED and GUTTED, you loose all appliances, furniture, doors, cabinets - but most of all you loose your past, your present and are now in financial peril. Then in come the Water Mitigation people with $43,000.00 quotes to rip out everything in your home, that does not include any rebuilding estimates.

Thankfully, the volunteers came to assist with the MUCK and GUTTING, and to throwing away everything you own and help you save what you can...

They are simply AMAZING, words can't describe the help and assistance they provided and continue to provide! We are beyond grateful for the assistance, the prayers and the tears they shed with us.

Once you realize the magnitude of the devastation flood waters do to your home, your furniture, your appliances, your treasured items, your clothes, your shoes.... and add the contamination of raw sewage being in your home so long, you are overwhelmed. The water just would not recede.

Cars totaled in garages, lost medications, most importantly our insulin needed for daily survival, I am immune compromised and on antibiotics for life, as well as IGG replacement therapy for life to keep me as safe as possible from daily threats to my health, like a cold.

My husband had lost his vision in his left eye, due to a retina detachment, a mini-stroke from the medicine trying to save his vision in his left eye and a quadruple-bypass survivor. Yet, you wade in and try to comprehend what needs to be done.

We have called every local business we can think we will need as a community to rebuild, all which so far, are helping with the tear out and hopefully, the rebuilding process pricing. We have managed, along with our neighbors to do our day-today lives, plus the things now associated with losing your home and all the memories and items contained therein.

We have come together with our neighbors, trying to assist each other the best we can....

We ask you, with great hesitancy to help us personally rebuild our home in Laurel Meadow, Sarasota, FL from Flooding from Tropical Storm Debby.

The Red Cross is a max of $640.00 of assistance if you qualify.

FEMA has denied many of us any assistance, we are in an appeals process.

We are incurring our regular, household bills, and displacement bills.

It is just heartbreaking.

If you could assists in any way no mater how small, it will make a difference.

We thank you for taking the time to read and absorb our devastation.

With love,

Carl "Doc" and Jody Valvo

Laurel Meadows Residents - Sarasota, FL