Moving Out Of Harms Way Pays Off For Southampton County Virginia Family During Hurricane Isabel

During Hurricane Isabel the Stradley's home stayed high and dry.

Southampton County, VA -- For 30 years Robert and Gale Stradley's home on Canal Drive in Southampton County escaped the intermittent threat of flooding.

In 1999, Hurricane Floyd changed all of that.

"Floyd was a very, very different storm. It dumped an unbelievable amount of water on us and then the wind just held the water in," said Gale Stradley remembering the storm's wrath during a recent interview.

Stradley and her husband stayed with friends while they waited for floodwaters to recede. "The water came up above our windows and our house sat in water for seven long days," she said. "It was a scary picture. We lost every single thing, and my husband's business was (run) out of our house."

Gayle Stradley standing in front of her dry home.

"I can't say enough about what the people at FEMA did for us," she continued "There was a woman from New York State named Rosa and she was so wonderful, she walked us through every last thing we had to do (for FEMA assistance). I can't say enough about the help we received," Stradley added.

With the help of FEMA grants for temporary housing and a low-interest loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration through their own bank, the Stradley's were able to rebuild and elevate their home, moving it our of harms way.

This building near the Stradley home didn't fair as well.

"We never wanted to go through that again," Stradley said, adding that by taking the mitigation measure to elevate their home, the retired couple's flood insurance premiums were reduced. "Thanks to government's help, we're still independent and living in our own home."

And how did they make it through Hurricane Isabel? "Just fine. We had debris in our yard but our house and possessions stayed safe and dry."

Unfortunately, not all the residents and businesses in the area where the Stradley's live were protected from Isabel's wrath. "I feel so badly for those folks. If you don't think they were sweating this one…" her voice trailed. "It was bad."

As a result of Hurricane Isabel, President George W. Bush has declared 99 jurisdictions including 69 counties and 30 independent cities eligible for federal disaster assistance. This is Virginia's second major disaster declaration this year. In March, six counties and three cities were federally declared major disaster areas after winter storms; floods and landslides struck in the north and west parts of the state.