{"id":526,"date":"2016-12-13T22:29:19","date_gmt":"2016-12-13T22:29:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/?p=526"},"modified":"2016-12-13T22:29:19","modified_gmt":"2016-12-13T22:29:19","slug":"bracing-for-the-storms-anniversary-after-months-of-strife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/2016\/12\/13\/bracing-for-the-storms-anniversary-after-months-of-strife\/","title":{"rendered":"Bracing For The Storm&#8217;s Anniversary After Months Of Strife"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">Lindsay Diaz has run into one struggle after another since last December&#8217;s storm. The duplex she owned was ripped to pieces. She was underinsured. Then a local demolition company with the wrong address mistakenly tore down what was left of her home. Construction on the rebuild is just now getting started a year later.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Holiday decorations are up. A cork board in the kitchen is tacked with notes and lists. And toddler toys are lined up in the living room. Everything about this rental house<em> feels<\/em> like home.<\/p>\n<p>Lindsay Diaz says it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEspecially having a young child, you want to have something that\u2019s very stable for them,&#8221; she says. &#8220;And a rental home &#8230; it\u2019s not yours.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_532\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-532 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz5-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Lindsay Diaz and her 1.5 year old Arian at the home she is currently renting until her new home is built in Rowlett. Her duplex was mistakenly torn down after a tornado severely damaged it in December 2015. Photographed on Friday, December 9, 2016. (photo \u00a9 Lara Solt)\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz5-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz5-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz5-1360x906.jpg 1360w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz5-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz5-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" >Lindsay Diaz and her son\u00a0Arian at the home she is renting until her new home is built in Rowlett. Photo\/Lara Solt<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Diaz lives here with her boyfriend and their little boy, Arian, who turned 1 in July.<\/p>\n<p>They moved into this place \u2014 their second\u00a0rental \u2014 after their tornado-damaged duplex was mistakenly demolished by a wrecking company this spring.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew this wasn\u2019t going to be temporary anymore. We looked for a bigger home, that way we could gather all of our items and just store it,&#8221; Diaz says.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We found another rental. The rent definitely went up quite a bit, so that\u2019s something that hurt us financially.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Diaz had homeowners insurance on the duplex, even though her policy would have left her a little short when the time came to pay for repairs the home.<\/p>\n<p>After the accidental demolition, she used her insurance money to pay off what was left of the mortgage. She had owned the place for three years.<\/p>\n<div class=\"quotemark \"> \u201cI knew this wasn\u2019t going to be temporary anymore.&#8221;<div class=\"quote-source\">Lindsay Diaz, tornado survivor<\/div><div class=\"quote-rating-0\"><\/div><\/div>\n<h5>Video: &#8217;10 seconds &#8230; felt like forever&#8217;<\/h5>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pQSLqDX9d2U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h5>&#8216;The struggle&#8217;s been really hard&#8217;<\/h5>\n<p>The new rental house costs $1,400\u00a0a month. Her old mortgage payments were less than $700.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWithin the past couple months, the struggle\u2019s been really hard,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I had to dip into some funds that I didn\u2019t need to. And of course all the help we\u2019ve gotten from the tornado &#8212; that\u2019s almost exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Diaz has filed a lawsuit again Billy Nabors Demolition, the wrecking company, for increasing the time she has to be out of her home and for the cost to rebuild it.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_530\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-530 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz3-300x194.jpg\" alt=\"The lot in Rowlett where Lindsay Diaz duplex was mistakenly torn down after a tornado severely damaged it in December 2015. She is currently renting until her new home is built, completion is expected next April. Photographed on Friday, December 9, 2016. (photo \u00a9 Lara Solt)\" width=\"300\" height=\"194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz3-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz3-768x497.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz3-1024x662.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz3-1360x880.jpg 1360w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz3-800x517.jpg 800w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz3-450x291.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" >The lot in Rowlett where Lindsay Diaz&#8217;s duplex was mistakenly torn down. Photo\/Lara Solt<\/p><\/div>\n<p>She took out a loan to start construction. The plumbing finally went in last month.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes I kind of regret keeping the lot,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I feel like I should have just sold it and just given up and gone somewhere else. I mean that would have been the easiest way out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Diaz and her family should be moved into their newly rebuilt home by the end of March. She can\u2019t believe almost a year has passed and so little has been done.<\/p>\n<div class=\"quotemark \"><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was kind of warm outside and then the sky looked the same as it did that day, and I&#8217;m like, it kind of scared me a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"quote-source\">Lindsay Diaz, tornado survivor<\/div><div class=\"quote-rating-0\"><\/div><\/div>\n<figure class=\"mt-insert\"><\/p>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_529\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 5442px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-529 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz2.jpg\" alt=\"Lindsay Diaz and her 1.5 year old Arian at the lot in Rowlett where her duplex was mistakenly torn down after a tornado severely damaged it in December 2015. She is currently renting until her new home is built, completion is expected next April. Photographed on Friday, December 9, 2016. (photo \u00a9 Lara Solt)\" width=\"5442\" height=\"3678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz2.jpg 5442w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz2-300x203.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz2-768x519.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz2-1024x692.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz2-1360x919.jpg 1360w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz2-800x541.jpg 800w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz2-450x304.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5442px) 100vw, 5442px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 5442px\" >Lindsay Diaz and her son Arian at the lot in Rowlett. She is renting until her new home is built; completion is expected in April. Photo\/Lara Solt<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n<p><\/figure>\n<h5>Feeling a sense of dread<\/h5>\n<p>Social worker Valencia Alexander says tornado victims will interpret the fast-approaching one-year anniversary in their own ways. Some may have a hard time with the milestone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat date coming back again, there has been much research on how people reenact the same fears and anxieties,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p>Alexander works for the city of Dallas and helped with counseling efforts after the storm. The anniversary of the deadly tornadoes falls the day after Christmas &#8212; and that complicates things.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome people will feel very grateful that they survived that event,&#8221; Alexander says. &#8220;But then others will feel a sense of loss, a sense of dread.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_531\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-531 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz4-300x207.jpg\" alt=\"Lindsay Diaz and her 1.5 year old Arian at the home she is currently renting until her new home is built in Rowlett. Her duplex was mistakenly torn down after a tornado severely damaged it in December 2015. Photographed on Friday, December 9, 2016. (photo \u00a9 Lara Solt)\" width=\"300\" height=\"207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz4-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz4-768x529.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz4-1024x705.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz4-1360x936.jpg 1360w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz4-800x551.jpg 800w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/12\/Diaz4-450x310.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" >Lindsay Diaz and Arian at the home she is renting. Photo\/Lara Solt<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Lindsay Diaz admits she hasn\u2019t looked forward to the holidays this year the way she usually does. And now? Certain kinds of weather put her on edge \u2014 like one afternoon a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was kind of warm outside and then the sky looked the same as it did that day,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It kind of scared me a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her 17-month-old son Arian is more concerned with his toys than the weather, and Diaz spends all her time making sure his life is healthy, happy and whole \u2014 no matter where they live.<\/p>\n<p>Still, she looks forward to the day they\u2019ll all go home, even though it\u2019s hard to imagine that day will ever come.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA year later, a year and a half, sometimes even two years later, you\u2019re still going to struggle,&#8221; she said. &#8220;This is something we\u2019ll never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She says the process of rebuilding a life is something she\u2019ll always remember.<\/p>\n<h5>Learn more about Lindsay Diaz<\/h5>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/2016\/02\/20\/after-the-storm-roars-through-insurance-troubles-mount\/\">After The Storm Roars Through, Insurance Troubles Mount<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lindsay Diaz has run into one struggle after another since&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":528,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"audio","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-audio","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-one-crisis-away-rebuilding-a-life","post_format-post-format-audio","byline-courtney-collins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=526"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":557,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526\/revisions\/557"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/rebuilding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}