Willie Allen, a resident of Encanto, met his neighbor Gabe Flores at the Ramada Inn flood relief hotel after their homes were damaged by floods. Despite the tragedy, both men are trying to remain positive.
Allen was aware that his stay at the Ramada Inn was temporary, but only recently discovered how imminent his departure was. “It was from a week-to-week basis,” he said. “You know, it’s kind of rough now because I don’t know where I’m going to go.”
Despite the uncertainty, Allen remains calm, attributing his resilience to past experiences. He survived being shot ten times and still carries a bullet lodged in his back and a pin in his hip. He believes that God has a plan for him, even if he doesn’t know what that is yet or where he’ll be on April 15.
According to the county’s Emergency Operations Center, the number of households placed in hotels has decreased since March 25. As of April 8, there were 25 fewer households compared to April 1. Since April 1, 161 households have applied to FEMA and 194 households have not submitted an application.
FEMA has distributed nearly $20 million in the county as of April 8, with about $4 million going to 349 placed households. Other flood relief efforts across the county are also winding down, with the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) flood recovery center set to close on April 19.
Source: nbcsandiego.com