I’ve just come back from 2 1/2 weeks doing home inspections for FEMA in New Jersey and New York for homeowners hit with hurricane Irene and hit again with torrential downpours from tropical storm Ike.

But I was pulled from that area and sent to Binghamton, New York, where they had just been hit with a  100 year flood. The Susquehanna river had flooded major parts of the city forcing the relocation of hundreds from a senior complex, sending many of them to a rapidly organized shelter at the Events Center (large basketball arena) at the University of Binghamton (SUNY). Many were housed in the “Med unit” which was a quasi medical unit staffed by medical personnel.

It’s tough to lose a lifetime of memories in a major disaster. Another inspector shared how she inspected a heavily damaged home where the lady of the home had just given birth 8 days before her home was flooded. But FEMA has learned from Katrina – it flooded the area with inspectors and had fast turnaround times for those in need.

For me, it was a big change of pace from the “routine” of real estate! We worked literally from sun-up to sun-down, 7 days a week. I skipped lunch every day, did a lot of walking, and lost weight to boot!