MINOT, N.D. (AP) - In reality it wasn’t all bad. At least that’s the opinion of some who were forced to reside in small trailers supplied by the Federal Emergency Management Agency following the 2011 flood in Minot.
The flood damaged thousands of homes, leaving many without a place to stay, the Minot Daily News reported . Up stepped FEMA with small, white trailers equipped as living quarters. They proved to be very beneficial for many who were tasked with rebuilding their flood damaged homes.
Among those in Minot who had to make the adjustment from a comfortable residence ravaged by floodwaters to a FEMA supplied trailer was Rick Brown.
“I put carpet in there because it gets so cold here,” Brown said. “I also put shelves in the hallway from one bedroom to the other for canned goods. To tell you the truth it was like camping out. It wasn’t bad at all.”
Brown’s wife is handicapped, so FEMA built a handicap accessible ramp to the entry of the small trailer. However, noted Brown, the inside of the trailer was HC equipped.
“Thank God we had something to stay in. We made it work. We were both sort of content in there,” Brown said.
FEMA has already ordered about 4,500 manufactured housing units to help people affected by Hurricane Harvey. The agency says they have about 1,700 trailers in storage. Many more will likely be needed in the aftermath of hurricane Irma in Florida.
As for advice to those in Texas and Florida who may have to move into a FEMA unit while their property is being cleaned up or rebuilt, Brown had this to say.
“Make some free-standing shelves. There’s washer and dryer hook-ups in there,” Brown said. “They are small, but think outside the box a little bit and you can make it work and make it comfortable.”
Denise Monson, Minot, agrees with Brown. She and her husband also experienced living in a FEMA trailer following the 2011 flood.
“We did it for a year and then got back in our house,” recalled Monson. “It wasn’t too bad. We had a place to stay.”
Like many others, both Brown and Monson have friends and relatives in Florida and are anxiously watching the progress of Hurricane Irma.
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Information from: Minot Daily News, https://www.minotdailynews.com
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