Recovering in Ridgecrest
Donation protected
Two weeks ago our area was hit with a 6.4 earthquake. We had a few things fall and some minor losses, but we were fine. Our dogs were fine. Our Mobile home was fine. Our neighbors were fine. We spent the day driving around looking for ice for our neighbor's freezer to allow her to keep her food cold until the power came back on only to find the power back by the time we got home.
The next morning there was another quake, a 5.5 that woke us up early, but it was just an aftershock, a big aftershock, but aftershocks happen.
That afternoon, a 7.1 hit and all hell broke loose. We couldn't do anything but hang on where we were and run out when it stopped. There was a six-inch gap between our door and our stairs. Nearly all the mobile homes on our street were off their jacks, tilted precariously, or on the ground. Our neighbors were in the streets, helping turn off water and gas, checking if everyone was OK, and just sharing the experiences. Amazingly no one was hurt.
We went back inside and grabbed as many pillows as we could and went to a large empty parking lot, far from anything that could fall on us to sleep in our van. We eventually were directed to the red cross shelter, where we got food and people to talk to, and AC during the 100 degree days, but we still slept in our van in the parking lot for almost a week because we didn't know how our dogs would do in crates all night when they had never been in them before, or how well we would sleep in an echoey room with a hundred people, dozens of dogs and lights on for security. The temperatures rose and we were convinced to come sleep inside.
We went to check on our house a few days after the quake and met the inspector who walked around our house and red-tagged it immediately. The state inspector red-tagged it as well a day or so later. It looked like someone had picked it up, twisted it, and put it down wrong. It is still on the jacks for the most part but wobbles when we walk inside and we are worried it will fall completely at some random time. We were told we needed to be escorted into our house by an inspector or the fire department to get anything out we needed. But they are all understandably busy. It took another week to get permission to go in alone and we have been taking out van loads to a storage space every morning before it gets too hot.
We have been refused for an emergency loan from our bank, and emergency cash aid or food stamps by the local government. Not sure what state resources are being offered. There has been no sign of federal aid. One person explained it as the local government provides aid to individuals, the state aids local governments, and the federal aids the state. The local has to run out of options before the state gets involved and the state needs to run out of options before the federal steps in. But what several government websites say is that they can't offer aid until a national emergency is declared, regardless if they are federal, state or local. So, they can't do anything until the person in the white house signs the official declaration, which he said he did July 6th, but still hasn't.
Rumors are spreading that the shelter is closing on Sunday because there aren't enough donations to feed the fifty or so people staying here and the fifty to a hundred others who come in for meals. The World Culinary Kitchens are still sending lunch and dinner, but the Salvation Army has stopped serving breakfast. The Red Cross is supplying cereal and fruit for breakfast, water, and a few snacks throughout the day, but the water is down to the repurposed beer cans from Anheuser Busch, which are cool, but not reclosable.
We had intended to buy some land in Edwards and start a LARP camp/renaissance fair/ Christmas Faire type of event area to support ourselves, before all this and now we are looking at living there too. But instead of just moving our mobile home there we need a whole new house. A manufactured home would work, be faster and less expensive, but is still more than we can afford. So we are turning to the social service resource of the twenty-first century, Gofundme.
The next morning there was another quake, a 5.5 that woke us up early, but it was just an aftershock, a big aftershock, but aftershocks happen.
That afternoon, a 7.1 hit and all hell broke loose. We couldn't do anything but hang on where we were and run out when it stopped. There was a six-inch gap between our door and our stairs. Nearly all the mobile homes on our street were off their jacks, tilted precariously, or on the ground. Our neighbors were in the streets, helping turn off water and gas, checking if everyone was OK, and just sharing the experiences. Amazingly no one was hurt.
We went back inside and grabbed as many pillows as we could and went to a large empty parking lot, far from anything that could fall on us to sleep in our van. We eventually were directed to the red cross shelter, where we got food and people to talk to, and AC during the 100 degree days, but we still slept in our van in the parking lot for almost a week because we didn't know how our dogs would do in crates all night when they had never been in them before, or how well we would sleep in an echoey room with a hundred people, dozens of dogs and lights on for security. The temperatures rose and we were convinced to come sleep inside.
We went to check on our house a few days after the quake and met the inspector who walked around our house and red-tagged it immediately. The state inspector red-tagged it as well a day or so later. It looked like someone had picked it up, twisted it, and put it down wrong. It is still on the jacks for the most part but wobbles when we walk inside and we are worried it will fall completely at some random time. We were told we needed to be escorted into our house by an inspector or the fire department to get anything out we needed. But they are all understandably busy. It took another week to get permission to go in alone and we have been taking out van loads to a storage space every morning before it gets too hot.
We have been refused for an emergency loan from our bank, and emergency cash aid or food stamps by the local government. Not sure what state resources are being offered. There has been no sign of federal aid. One person explained it as the local government provides aid to individuals, the state aids local governments, and the federal aids the state. The local has to run out of options before the state gets involved and the state needs to run out of options before the federal steps in. But what several government websites say is that they can't offer aid until a national emergency is declared, regardless if they are federal, state or local. So, they can't do anything until the person in the white house signs the official declaration, which he said he did July 6th, but still hasn't.
Rumors are spreading that the shelter is closing on Sunday because there aren't enough donations to feed the fifty or so people staying here and the fifty to a hundred others who come in for meals. The World Culinary Kitchens are still sending lunch and dinner, but the Salvation Army has stopped serving breakfast. The Red Cross is supplying cereal and fruit for breakfast, water, and a few snacks throughout the day, but the water is down to the repurposed beer cans from Anheuser Busch, which are cool, but not reclosable.
We had intended to buy some land in Edwards and start a LARP camp/renaissance fair/ Christmas Faire type of event area to support ourselves, before all this and now we are looking at living there too. But instead of just moving our mobile home there we need a whole new house. A manufactured home would work, be faster and less expensive, but is still more than we can afford. So we are turning to the social service resource of the twenty-first century, Gofundme.
Organizer
Kymbr Mundstock
Organizer
Ridgecrest, CA
