HOUSTON, Texas – Lottie Bennett, an 80-year-old resident Houston resident, has faced severe hardships following Hurricane Beryl.
Living in her home since 1986, Bennett said since the storm hit on July 8, she has been left with significant damage to her house and no power.
“It is not nice. It is not nice,” Bennett said while describing her current living conditions. “I have no lights because they came and told me that I need to get the city to turn the electricity on. I have nothing, I had to get rid of my food, my refrigerator. I had to get rid of everything.”
The lack of power is just one of the many issues Bennett facing.
The storm caused severe roof damage, leading to continuous rain pouring into her home.
“This here, when the rain comes, this is how the rain comes,” Bennett explained. She confirmed that during the recent rainy week, water has been relentlessly seeping into her living space.
Bennett’s health has also deteriorated due to the conditions in her home.
“I’ve had the ambulance out here twice because of me not feeling good, and then I got a cold. My health is not that good,” she shared. Despite calling the city for help, she said she feels abandoned. “I called when I wasn’t feeling good and my coughing and everything. I’m 80 years old, I can’t take this.”
The damage to her home is extensive, as Bennett pointed out, “See right there? That’s the top of the house. And this is how it’s been raining on me ever since it happened.”
Bennett said she has been trying to clean up the damage but feels overwhelmed.
“This is what I’ve had to do.”
When Beryl hit, Bennett was in the room with the most roof damage.
“I was in there first and then I went into the closet, and when things started moving real fast, I ran out, and when I did, everything started falling,” she recounted.
After the storm, Bennett said she also called to get her power restored but was advised by a worker to call the city and pay for the service to be restored.
“He didn’t feel comfortable doing it,” she said.
With nowhere else to go, Bennett remains in her damaged home.
“When the water comes, just like you see, it’s coming down. I have nowhere to go but here,” she said, resigned to sitting with the problem.
Despite her insurance company visiting to check on her, Bennett is hesitant to follow their advice to move into a hotel.
“They say I need to go and let my insurance put me in a hotel or something for a couple of nights. I’m afraid of that. I don’t like hotels. I’d rather be in my home.”