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TrailNoob
06-25-2011, 21:33
I just watched the flood waters of the souris swallow my home upto the roof. I , like all other citizens living in the Valley that were displaced had been advised by our insurance companies that flood insurance was not needed and so we are all SOL. I am blessed to have a place to stay with family, but I have only owned my home for two years so it has another 28 years to pay off. I am going to be left with no choice but to abandon it to the river. My husband and I are for sure doing a NOBO thru hike come 2012 to regain our direction in life. Please everyone who is able to Donate to the Minot North Dakota Red Cross so that other people who aren't able to find homes with friends and relatives can find some support. Thank-You for any help that comes our way. May the Universe start being nicer to everyone.

HiKen2011
06-25-2011, 21:38
I just watched the flood waters of the souris swallow my home upto the roof. I , like all other citizens living in the Valley that were displaced had been advised by our insurance companies that flood insurance was not needed and so we are all SOL. I am blessed to have a place to stay with family, but I have only owned my home for two years so it has another 28 years to pay off. I am going to be left with no choice but to abandon it to the river. My husband and I are for sure doing a NOBO thru hike come 2012 to regain our direction in life. Please everyone who is able to Donate to the Minot North Dakota Red Cross so that other people who aren't able to find homes with friends and relatives can find some support. Thank-You for any help that comes our way. May the Universe start being nicer to everyone.

That's terrible and I don't have the words to express my sorrow for you guys. Keep your chin up and may God see you through this tragedy.

TrailNoob
06-25-2011, 21:48
The whole town seems to just be shocked right now. I can't even know where to start putting back together the pieces. Living here we always think that nothing like this could ever happen. I love my home town, but it will never be the same again. The only positive thing I can do right now is plan for the trail. We have wanted to go for years now and we are trying to make this our positive direction right now, if i didnt have this to focus on I would be crying alot more.

Trailbender
06-25-2011, 22:05
I just watched the flood waters of the souris swallow my home upto the roof. I , like all other citizens living in the Valley that were displaced had been advised by our insurance companies that flood insurance was not needed and so we are all SOL. I am blessed to have a place to stay with family, but I have only owned my home for two years so it has another 28 years to pay off. I am going to be left with no choice but to abandon it to the river. My husband and I are for sure doing a NOBO thru hike come 2012 to regain our direction in life. Please everyone who is able to Donate to the Minot North Dakota Red Cross so that other people who aren't able to find homes with friends and relatives can find some support. Thank-You for any help that comes our way. May the Universe start being nicer to everyone.

That sucks. If my home was flooded and ruined, I sure wouldn't be paying anything on it. Cut it loose and move on.

TrailNoob
06-25-2011, 22:19
The thing is I can afford my bills and my husband and I have worked hard to have Almost excellant credit. I can not however able to afford both a mortgage/rent on a new home plus the mortgage on a home that doesn't exist anymore. FEMA doesn't sound like it will offer much help, and although I haven's spoken with my Mortgage Lender about options yet I am more then likely going to have to forclose or declare bankruptcy on the house. We are still waiting for the crest to hit and then it will be like another month at least before we are able to even go see how our home fared so we can't do anything for now except wait which is excruciating.

gumball
06-26-2011, 06:09
That's terrible--I'm so sorry.

mudhead
06-26-2011, 09:18
I , like all other citizens living in the Valley that were displaced had been advised by our insurance companies that flood insurance was not needed and so we are all SOL.

Didn't the place food hard in '69? Remember this when you talk to an insurance agent next time. Even State Farm pulled some dirty tricks with hurricane damage in the South.

Best to you.

Rocket Jones
06-26-2011, 09:30
This is probably nothing you haven't thought yourself, but sometimes it helps to hear it from someone else.

You can't do a thing about your house right now. Let it go for the moment and concentrate on what to do after the water recedes. Learn your options, learn the possibilities and plan for dealing with possible situations. Find out who the proper contacts are now and get your name on the lists or queues or whatever. Talk to the bank, talk to your mortgage holder, talk to emergency responders. The idea is that when the water recedes, you hit the ground running towards recovery.

You're young and you're both safe. That right there makes everything else going on a lot less important in the grand scheme of things.

Take care and I'm sending good thoughts your way.

DamnYankee
06-26-2011, 09:43
I will be thinking of you and your husband, I certainly hope all is not lost for you and him, as in salvageable items from your home. Please stay positive and do your best to find your direction now and in the coming months and years. Looking forward to meeting you two on the trail next year.

Nutbrown
06-26-2011, 10:22
FEMA is running a lot better these days. I have been taking courses in disaster recovery. They won't pay for the entire house, but you should get something to help you out. Insurance companies are dicks. Good luck with finding the right people to talk to. Glad you have each other.

chiefiepoo
06-26-2011, 13:49
First, I'd want to express my empathy for your situation as you have lost so much. Here in FL I've been through it with hurricanes and minor damage from time to time over the past 40 years. I have been through Minot 3 times in the past few summers as I have traveled out to Glacier NP on the AMTRAK Empire Builder. We seem to pass through Minot in the early morning hours so I miss seeeing how the land lies with regard to the river. I do know it is really flat and that water can be a huge problem as the Red river showed the world a few years back.
My second thought is about the accountability of those insurance agents who told you and your neighbors that flood insurance was not needed. Particularly after so many examples of record flooding in the mid west is the past decade. Your insurance agent is professional with responsibilities to his clients. No less than a doctor, accountant, or financial advisor. We should be able to trust and rely on them for an honest, candid opinion and a discussion of risks whenever we have business before them. If your agent raised the possibility of loss due to flooding and you declined to buy, then that is on you. Entirely. On the other hand , if s/he never presented the opportunity for you to consider or flat out told you flood insurance was never going to be needed, I believe they should be accountable for their actions as a professional.
Now, I believe that there differences in how stoic mid westerners confront adversity as compared to, say, over zealous. litigation minded big city folk. I for one however have never sought to bring legal action against any one. Always have been able to sort out differences way short of that. Here in Florida, there is a trend that seeks to hold insurance agents responsible for their errors in issuing policies, that for whatever reason, fail to provide coverage for certain losses. I'm not an attorney, but I can see, hear and read about instances where insurance companies seek to limit risk exposure by not offering coverage.
My personal experience is that of being dropped by a major national company because I live within one mile of the coast. That in spite of never having a claim in 40 years and having paid over 100k in that time for various types of coverage. So, yes, I admit to a bias when discussing business practices of insurers.
That being said, opinions and regulations pertaining to the responsibilities of insurers evolve over time through legislation and court desisions. Here in Fl we know that all too well. Your desire to pick up and rebuild is beyond admirable. It is what hard working, responsible, and unbroken people do. Be it in New Orleans, south Florida, northern Japan, NYC, or any other place that experiences man made or natural disaster. You should not have to endure additional hardship that might have been avoided through a thoughtful discussion of the risks you faced as a homeowner.
Best of luck and prayers for healing and recovery in God's time

Addy
06-26-2011, 16:35
my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family....!!!!

One Half
06-26-2011, 17:36
The thing is I can afford my bills and my husband and I have worked hard to have Almost excellant credit. I can not however able to afford both a mortgage/rent on a new home plus the mortgage on a home that doesn't exist anymore. FEMA doesn't sound like it will offer much help, and although I haven's spoken with my Mortgage Lender about options yet I am more then likely going to have to forclose or declare bankruptcy on the house. We are still waiting for the crest to hit and then it will be like another month at least before we are able to even go see how our home fared so we can't do anything for now except wait which is excruciating.

Can't understand why FEMA would not be helpful. I would definitely stop paying the mortgage, call the company, explain what happened and ask if you can just deed it back to them. Your credit will recover and most companies, I would think, will understand in the future and you can attach a statement to your credit report once the house is no longer yours if it shows up on your report as a foreclosure/bankruptcy/other negative action.

LDog
06-26-2011, 19:31
On the other hand , if s/he never presented the opportunity for you to consider or flat out told you flood insurance was never going to be needed, I believe they should be accountable for their actions as a professional.

Absolutely! Speak with your insurer. You've paid for them to protect you financially from such events. If they are not forthcoming, talk to an attorney!


FEMA is running a lot better these days. I have been taking courses in disaster recovery. They won't pay for the entire house, but you should get something to help you out.

Absolutely. They moved a bunch of trailers to New Orleans. I'd bet they still have em stashed someplace ... And, speak with your local government to find out what aid, if any, is forthcoming.

All my thoughts and prayers are with you tonight.

Hope to see you on the trail!

DapperD
06-26-2011, 20:00
I just watched the flood waters of the souris swallow my home upto the roof. I , like all other citizens living in the Valley that were displaced had been advised by our insurance companies that flood insurance was not needed and so we are all SOL. I am blessed to have a place to stay with family, but I have only owned my home for two years so it has another 28 years to pay off. I am going to be left with no choice but to abandon it to the river. My husband and I are for sure doing a NOBO thru hike come 2012 to regain our direction in life. Please everyone who is able to Donate to the Minot North Dakota Red Cross so that other people who aren't able to find homes with friends and relatives can find some support. Thank-You for any help that comes our way. May the Universe start being nicer to everyone.I am so very, very sorry to hear this. This is something that has happened that is basically unimaginable to most folks. I think being advised by your insurance companies that flood insurance was not needed was a horrible disservice to you and all the residents living there. I don't believe though what other's have stated that you would have very much success going after them though for bad advice. Insurance companies are in business to make money, and although I am certainly no expert on this, my belief regarding insurance is that you can insure just about anything, but if you don't have it insured with the proper insurance application when something goes wrong/happens, then you are unfortunately out of luck:-?.

Pringles
06-26-2011, 20:14
You're in my thoughts. My home town flooded a few years ago. Many people lost everything. A lot of folks just walked away from their homes. FEMA and the Red Cross and organizations none of us had ever heard of showed up. I hope you can get help, but it's very good that you have your hiking goal. I wish you the best. Pringles

Carl in FL
06-26-2011, 20:24
It has been my experience that if you have a bank mortgage on a residential property, and the bank does not require flood insurance, then you are in the "low risk" category for flood. Perhaps you are in a 50-year flood area, or a 100-year flood area. In any case, it is all based on risk over time. In your case, sadly, a very bad thing happened earlier than statistically expected.

My heart goes out to you and I wish you all the best in your rebuilding and your inevitable success. And your hike!

TrailNoob
06-27-2011, 00:28
Yes Minot flooded in 69 but this year the flood was like four feet higher or something. They said it crested this morning. We Minotians are able to register for fema so hopefully some help will come from them. Yes in 94 the insurance agencies in town sent letters to homeowners saying that due to some damn being built upstream it would never flood here again and they could all drop their flood insurance. Minot is full of wonderful caring people and I love being from North Dakota. Even if FEMA gave us 30,000 it wouldn't be enough to make our house livable :(. Thank you all for your support just knowing that the rest of the country is aware that we are up here is a good feeling. We always joke that we have to tell people we really are part of the fifty states. They say in 2 weeks the water should be back within the original levees so heres hoping that it's not gonna be as bad as I think it it. They showed my house on the news today and it had water above the windows.

TrailNoob
06-27-2011, 00:29
Oh and yes it is on a 50 year cycle because is flooded in 188? as well.

skinewmexico
06-27-2011, 09:05
Our house flooded several years ago, when we got 6" of rain in an hour, and FEMA helped up. We weren't in a flood plain, and couldn't get flood insurance (I tried later). Don't give up yet, my dealings with FEMA were great.

10-K
06-27-2011, 09:26
Very, very sorry to hear about your loss. I lived on the coast and watched hurricanes wipe away people's lives many times. It's heartbreaking.



My second thought is about the accountability of those insurance agents who told you and your neighbors that flood insurance was not needed. Particularly after so many examples of record flooding in the mid west is the past decade. Your insurance agent is professional with responsibilities to his clients. No less than a doctor, accountant, or financial advisor. We should be able to trust and rely on them for an honest, candid opinion and a discussion of risks whenever we have business before them. If your agent raised the possibility of loss due to flooding and you declined to buy, then that is on you. Entirely. On the other hand , if s/he never presented the opportunity for you to consider or flat out told you flood insurance was never going to be needed, I believe they should be accountable for their actions as a professional.

I'd buy flood insurance if I lived in the middle of the Sahara desert no matter what the insurance agent said. You always want flood insurance. It's also very inexpensive.

chiefduffy
06-27-2011, 10:48
May God bless you and yours. Keep trudging!