Cleanup continues after extensive damage in Flagler County

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Vietnam War veteran Chuck Bahner’s home is badly damaged from Hurricane Matthew. He doesn’t know where to start clean up.

“We’re standing now where my garage used to be,” he said of of his mobile home at Surfside Estates in Flagler Beach.  “In my front patio, there’s a 20-by-20 hole where the roof is supposed to be.”

His is just one of some 200 mobile homes damaged in the neighborhood.  He recently moved in, but Hurricane Matthew hit before he got homeowner’s insurance. He evacuated and came home to destruction.

“My heart sank,” he said. “I bought my home six months ago, was three-quarters done with my landscaping.”

Bahner said all of the damage was about $30,000 at his home. He said this was his first hurricane.

“I’m unsure what’s going to happen when rain hits it. It looks like there’s a lot of open areas still.” He explained.

Neighbors said tarps were coming Tuesday.  The National Guard, and Salvation Army were in the neighborhood Tuesday helping, too.

“A lot of us are going to be rebuilding, I’m sure,” Bahner explained. “It’s just going to be a long process.”

As a veteran, Bahner will fight through it --  together with his neighbors -- toward recovery.  

One couple at the Surfside Estates says their home so badly damaged, it’s no longer livable, with twisted metal, wet walls, ceilings caving in.

“The ceiling is destroyed,” said Henry Whitecotton.  “The roof came off, but they were able to put some tarping over it.”

Whitecotton and his wife’s believe their home is a total loss.  Now, they’re going through and saving whatever they can, because they don’t have insurance.

“We’re alive!” Whitecotton’s wife said.  He added, “Like she said, we’re alive, we’re Okay, we’re not hurt., we’re not in the hospital.”

Several neighbors have set up a Go Fund Me account to help residents of the mobile home park rebuild and recover.