Larry Allen struggles to push open the door to his northeast Harris County shed. The large shed shifted after Hurricane Beryl when his neighbor’s large tree fell on it.
Since then, he’s been unable to use it.
“It’s got even worse, cause all of that rain last week [it’s] been moving around,” Allen said. “It shifts the right way; it may push roll this whole thing off over here.”
The 75-year-old used the shed as his mancave, workshop, and family meeting spot.
Allen is a father of five. Grandfather to 14. Great-granddad to 12 and a great-great-grandpop to two.
“What did this place mean to you,” KPRC 2′s Rilwan Balogun asked.
“Oh, meant a lot. Everything. Cause we had, like, we had family reunions here. We had Super Bowl parties here. We had Halloween parties here for the kids. I mean, we had all kinds of parties,” Allen said.
Allen filed a claim with his insurance but fears they’re taking their time processing it.
“This is my first time to file a claim [for] something like this,” Allen said. “I said, well, I understand, but, you know, the longer y’all wait, the more damage is going to be.”
Allen has been thinking about time a lot recently. His wife died nearly two years ago.
He was recently diagnosed with stage four renal cancer.
“This is my second go around with cancer. I’ve been fighting it and everything,” he said. “I don’t know what else the good Lord wants from me. I mean, I’m doing everything I can do, you know? And it seems like every time I turn around, somebody, you know, want to slap me down.”
His insurance company, which he doesn’t want to know, told him they are processing several claims following Beryl.
KPRC 2 reached out to several greater Houston-area organizations trying to find him immediate assistance.
Balogun was connected to the Texas Gulf Coast Regional Voluntary Organizations in Disaster’s Chair, Gary Flaharty, who is checking who operates in the area that can help.
KPRC 2 understands plenty of homeowners may be in similar situations. Several organizations recommend people reaching out to the United Way or calling 211 and request to be added to the Crisis Cleanup, a national tool that tells agencies where damage is. United Way/211 will know who is currently able to assist with trees down.