Not Thinking About Timeshares for a Change
Monday, July 30, 2007
As floodwaters subside in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, I want to take this opportunity to express our compassion for all the people who have been affected by this devastation to property, loss of livelihood, and most tragically, loss of lives.
If you’ve never been through a flood, it can be hard to imagine the destructive power of the moving water, how quickly it can rise, and how filthy flood waters really are. A raging current of water ceases to be rain water or even river water, and becomes a moving torrent of sewage, carrying with it garbage and wastes of all kinds, animals that have drowned, dangerous floating or submerged debris, and in most cases, snakes, rats, and a host of vermin.
When the waters finally go down, what is left is nasty and bloated beyond comprehension. My heart breaks for everyone who is facing this tragedy. Even sadder, because flood insurance is only required of properties in certain areas, the vast majority of the people affected by the flooding will have no insurance coverage to fall back on.
Lest we think that our problems in the US are singular, a brief search of the news reminds us that, in recent weeks, thousands of farmers in the Orissa district of India have lost their crops due to flooding. Over all, more than 1.5 million residents along or near the Bay of Bengal have been impacted by flash flooding, including the collapse of thousand of mud homes. In Norway, floodwaters have polluted drinking waters for hundreds of residents. Seasonal flooding in the Sudan of Africa has been much worse than usual this year, and thousands are homeless as both the Nile and the Al-Gash rivers have overflowed their banks.
Residents near Victoria, Australia, have recently faced some of the worst flooding in that area’s history, as trees are down and roads are closed by the high waters. In the North Cornwall area of England, flash flooding has collapsed buildings and forced the evacuation of approximately 1000 residents. In Japan, Typhoon Man-Yi has created massive flooding, loss of homes, and again, loss of life. And in China, with its burgeoning population, millions have been affected by flooding this summer, including the deaths, according to some resources, of nearly 400 people.
Sadly, in my accounts of this summer’s flooding, I may have omitted areas I should have mentioned, and I apologize. We’ve had our own experiences with floodwaters here in Dover, NH at our Sell My Timeshare NOW offices and our hearts go out to everyone around the globe who is now dealing with flooding or its aftermath. If you can do anything to help someone whose life has been forever changed by floodwaters, please do. If you don’t know where to start, remember there is always the Disaster Relief Fund of the American Red Cross.
For an interesting take on the flooding problems in Great Britian, read Peter Black’s blog.
To learn more about the National Flood Insurance Program visit their website at http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/pages/index.jsp
And if you have any updates on timeshares in the areas affected by the flooding, please share it with us by leaving your comments.
