Katrina Was HELL

[ChefBill]

Guys & Gals,
    I'm about to get back in the swing of things here. Had 30" of <u>salt</u> water in the house during KATRINA. You cannot imagine the damage salt water can do. You've got Stainless Steel that rust in 24 hours and everything is covered with a thin film of talc fine powdered mud. Have managed to get all the house livable again but just a little short of furniture for the time being. Got 3 bar stools, a TV and beds but that's about it. <i>Ever try to watch a 4 hr. movie sitting in a bar stool??[?]?? </i>    A real bitch was watching you Bradley Smoker float out with the outgoing water[:0]. Been replacing all my spices, smoker, bisquettes, sausage making stuff + everything else. Must have lost $1000 worth of smoker stuff. All total I'm over $80K in losses[V], thank God for flood Ins.
   Managed to save most everything that was above water line though. Lost bunch of antique furniture and old pictures that cannot be replaced. <i>Oh Well, that's life.. All of us were safe and that is what <u>really</u> counts[:)].</i> Bad part was living in a trailer for 3 months with 2 dogs & my mentally handicapped daughter. BUT we made it thru the hard part. I figured at 65 and physically handicapped I just didn't have what it took to start over again but I made it a challange and just dove in and went to work on it. I was the brains and my daughter was the muscle and we made one hell of a team[:)].
    Did manage to save Raptor & Guru + ET-73 and all the racks for smoker. Got me a new BS, Meat grinder and sausage stuffer <u>"I <b>will</b> be smoking by next Weekend"</u>


ChefBill
If you can eat it, you can smoke it.

[owrstrich]

bill...

i have not a clue what its been like for you and the others down there... what you folks have been through and what you folks will be going through...

welcome back to the forum...

owrstrich

[ChefBill]

owrstrich,
Definately been a new experience for me. People never heard about the flooding Mobile Alabama took. We have people right here in town that didn't know that over a thousand houses flooded because the local news media was too busy talking about New Orleans. I'm better off than a lot of people, at least all I had was <i>"Slow"</i> water damage. Some folks 30 miles West of me only have a bare concrete slab left. They were hit by water 10 feet deep traveling 10 MPH[:(]. My heart goes out to them, they have nothing. I have a friend in MS that the only thing he had left was the clothes on his back. I'm really lucky.

ChefBill
If you can eat it, you can smoke it.

[Kummok]

Dang, Bill, you had your hands full for a while! Sounds like you perservered with everyone accounted for. I've never been through a flood like that, but I have experienced my own total property losses from fires, wind damage, accidents, etc. and have come to realize EXACTLY what you have stated....It's all just STUFF, even the "family heirlooms". Yeah, it hurts for a moment, but you learnn that what's most important is the family itself and you have exemplified that!....thank you for sharing. Keep the faith....without faith there is no hope and it is hope that drives the perserverance which overcomes such challenges. Yes, stainless steel rusts, but even Hurricane Katrina can't keep a Bradley smoker from ssssmoooookin'....you da man![8D]

35 years of extinguishing smoking stuff and now I'm wondering WHY!
Kummok @ Homer, AK USA

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

ChefBill,

Went to Slidell to help my Aunt and Uncle. He had 24" in his house; a big mess. Know what you mean about trying to put things back together. Glad to hear you are back on the smoke path...

Arcs_n_Sparks

[BigSmoker]

Sorry for your losses as I really can't imagine what happend to you but glad to hear things are looking much better.  Please keep us posted.

Jeff



Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.

[ChefBill]

I Fired Up the new Bradley today to season it and smoke out the Chinese cob webs.[:)] Did a test on the "Raptor/Guru" which I managed to save from the flood, Sucker worked just like it always did. Figured it was going to be smoke Summer Sausage time this weekend. [:p]
Found some 3/8" SS tubing I had around and I'm going to make a tall rack for the top shelf so I can hang the casings up high without then touching the drip tray.[;)] All I got left to do is make 12 hooks to go on the rods.

ChefBill
If you can eat it, you can smoke it.