Peterson’s home was heavily damaged by Hurricane Charley. Peterson said he was lucky the house behind his was “tilted, like in the ‘Wizard of Oz.’”
Many University students are aware of the hurricanes that have repeatedly battered Florida this season, but University freshman Joshua Peterson has first-hand experience.
Peterson is a 17-year-old from Central Florida whose home was in the outskirts of Orlando when Hurricane Charley smashed into Florida on Aug. 13.
Although he was safely evacuated, the hurricane thrashed his home, collapsing the ceiling in his room and damaging nearly all of his belongings. Extreme flooding destroyed everything in the garage and in other areas of the house.
“Pretty much every shingle was ripped off of the roof because of poor manufacturing,” Peterson said.
Of the 24 University students with listed Florida addresses, four said they were affected by the rash of hurricanes that have devastated the state this season.
But Peterson’s was not only affected — his home was so severely damaged that the house, and everything in it, has been condemned.
“Because of high humidity in the state itself … it got really moist and hot in the house, which made mold,” Peterson said, adding that the house was deemed hazardous and ordered condemned because of the mold.
Peterson’s home sustained an estimated $150,000 in damage, and another $73,000 in personal belongings were lost to the storm.
“Pictures, clothing and even untreated wood had to be thrown away,” Peterson said.
Before moving to Oregon, Peterson had to buy new clothes and school supplies because nearly all his personal belongings were ruined.
Peterson lived in his Kissimmee, Fla., home with his mother, Catina Peterson, a registered nurse who
continued to work through most of the hurricanes because she works in a dialysis unit with patients who need daily treatment.
Peterson, who recently moved into the residence halls, will now be living thousands of miles away from his mother.
“It’s been me and my mom for a while so I’m used to taking care of her,” Peterson said.
Hurricane Jeanne, which struck Florida last weekend, canceled flights and forced Catina Peterson to stay in a Eugene hotel and miss several days of work.
The Petersons, who moved to Florida from Southern California in Aug. 2003, had never experienced a hurricane.
“We’re not used to hurricanes or anything like that … the aftermath of everything was more devastating than the actual process in which it happened,” Peterson said.
Hurricane Charley made landfall in Florida carrying winds of 145 mph. At its zenith, the hurricane’s winds topped 180 mph. It killed 13 people, seriously injured dozens and knocked out power for two million people. Damage costs following Charley were in the $10 billion range.
“A lot of people were hit worse than me; the house behind me was tilted, like in ‘The Wizard of Oz’,” Peterson said.
Because the Petersons were insured, they are able to start working toward rebuilding their home.
“Repairs (to the house) are being made. We’re basically going to knock down all of the walls, treat the foundation and rebuild everything,” Peterson said. “It’s a very serious situation. Those who don’t have insurance really lost everything.”
