FEMA money

 FEMA just agreed to send me $800 for a solar generator that I purchased during my extended power outage (11 days!) after Hurricane Ida.  I wasn't sure they would because their offer was more for the fossil fuels generators, and I took a leap of faith because my return window closed.

 It's a nice little unit, solid.  It can provide quite a lot of juice though not a whole house generator or anything like that.  No AC, no full-size refrigerator.  But I'll be able to charge my phone and run a fan, and that's really what I need.  

Because these hurricanes are going to keep coming and I'm going to need this thing again and again and again.  I can charge it all the way up with AC or DC power and then just keep it charged, and when in use and without power, I can use the solar panels.  I'm pretty stoked about this because of how I endured after Ida in a hot house with no airflow.  This is kind of a gamechanger potentially.  

And I beefed up all my supplies - I got a camp stove and fuel, better flashlights and battery-operated units.  I'm better prepared now.

And a lot of that is thanks to FEMA.  They sent me a $500 check off the bat when I filed, and that provided me with help in storm aftermath and bought all my supplies to be better prepared.  And now they are sending another $800 which pays for half the solar generator, which really helps.  Breath of relief because I was going to have to cut other corners if they didn't.  

And here is why I feel no guilt at taking this money: I pay my taxes merrily.  And also, I mitigated damages.  Tremendously.  And expenses.  I didn't evacuate so not asking for those expenses and I'm not asking for reimbursement to cover housing when my house gets fixed. It's going to be a big mess and really stressful ,but I'm styaing home.  If it weren't for the dog, I'd stay at a friend's house to avoid the mess, but I'm not taking my dog away from her beloved backyard.  

I could have cost FEMA and my insurance a whooooole lot more if I hadn't so actively mitigated.  So I take these checks and deposit them and make repairs and gear up for the next storm.  Feeling very fortunate.  

And it builds, the luck.  It's luck upon luck upon luck.  I was lucky to have a friend with internet during the outage whose house I could go to in order to make the order and submit the claim to FEMA.  I was lucky that the person at FEMA who answered my call was super helpful and funny.  I was lucky that I had the means to pay the whole $1579 for the damn generator and hold my breath hoping for help.  I was lucky that my neighbor was here to help me out during and after the storm.  And so on.  

But I'm just really relieved this little piece got resolved, and my checks from insurance have been deposited, and hopefully I'll be getting a new roof in the next few weeks, and then internal repairs, and then housepainting and gutters and all the other little things inside.  And then I can get rugs and furniture and actually move into my house and things will be ok.

But I'm still having Ida-induced insomnia.  Don't know how long it will take for that to subside.