{"id":364,"date":"2016-02-18T18:23:54","date_gmt":"2016-02-18T18:23:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/?p=364"},"modified":"2016-11-18T21:35:55","modified_gmt":"2016-11-18T21:35:55","slug":"after-tornado-couple-rebuilds-their-home-and-their-lives-on-tight-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/2016\/02\/18\/after-tornado-couple-rebuilds-their-home-and-their-lives-on-tight-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"After Tornado, Couple Rebuilds Their Home \u2014 And Their Lives \u2014 On Tight Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Rowlett\u00a0couple owned a home free and clear, and they had insurance. Then the Dec. 26 tornadoes hit. The problem? Rebuilding costs more than what insurance is paying. Th<\/em>ey\u2019re both HIV positive, on disability and live on a fixed budget. For this couple, there isn\u2019t much room to cut back.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Alfredo and Anthony Fowler-Rainone love listening to wind chimes in their quiet backyard.\u00a0The sound of a tarp, cracking as the breeze whistles through a gaping hole in their roof, is less soothing.<\/p>\n

On Dec. 26, Anthony said they barely made it inside their laundry room before the worst of the storm slammed into the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cHugged each other, held the dogs tight. Felt the house lift up, jam down,” Anthony says. “And I just yelled out, ‘we\u2019re hit!’\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Anthony

Anthony Fowler-Rainone of Rowlett looks into a hole in the bathroom ceiling that caved in when his home was damaged in the December tornadoes. Photo\/Lara Solt<\/p><\/div>\n

He\u2019s lived in his home for almost 30 years, and Alfredo joined him a decade ago. They got married in New York in 2011, before same-sex marriage was legal in every state.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a very happy home, Alfredo said, even though a tornado peeled off the roof, twisted the second story and skewered the drywall with two-by-four beams.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so stressed out — half the time I\u2019m ready to start screaming at somebody,\u201d Alfredo said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time I think about it, I want to go off in a corner and cry.\u00a0I don\u2019t know where we go from that point, other than cut what we have to cut to get our home back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anthony Fowler-Rainone, tornado survivor<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>\n
‘SWEATING BULLETS’<\/h5>\n

Hiring engineers and contractors to evaluate tornado damage is taxing. Anthony said it gets worse when you thought you had more than enough insurance, then realize your homeowner\u2019s policy won\u2019t cover the full cost of repairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went from being way over-insured to sweating bullets and being underinsured,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The couple will be about $20,000 short when all is repaired, rebuilt and replaced. Alfredo, 49, and Anthony, 53, don\u2019t have much in savings and live on $2,100 a month in disability payments. They can\u2019t work overtime or pick up extra shifts.<\/p>\n

All they can really do? Chop every ounce of fat from their budget.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time I think about it I want to go off in a corner and cry,” Anthony said.\u00a0“I don\u2019t know where we go from that point, other than cut what we have to cut to get our home back.\u201d<\/p>\n

They’ll have to cut back on everything, with every dime going toward repair.<\/p>\n

\"Alfredo

Alfredo Fowler-Rainone listens as Anthony Fowler-Rainone, both of Rowlett, recounts
the night their home was damaged in the December tornadoes. Photo\/Lara Solt<\/p><\/div>\n

IN NORTH TEXAS, DEMAND OUTWEIGHS SUPPLY<\/h5>\n

Being underinsured isn’t uncommon.<\/p>\n

About 60 percent of American homeowners are underinsured, according to the research group CoreLogic<\/a>.\u00a0Many people are underinsured because construction costs are high, which means rebuilding is expensive, especially in North Texas.<\/p>\n

Meloni McDaniel, President of Texo, the construction trade group for this part of Texas, explains why that’s the case: Construction is in high demand, and the supply of skilled workers is limited. Therefore, costs increase. Even more, the commercial industry is booming and those jobs are monopolizing the workers and materials from the residential market, she said.<\/p>\n