Jacksonville escaped Hurricanes Charley and Frances but, for some homeowners, Hurricane Bonnie was more than enough.
Edgewood Avenue residents faced downed power lines, trees, fences, even parts of a sidewalk and parts of a McDonald’s sign after a tornado. Many roofs were missing shingles, and some roofs collapsed leaving homeowners wondering what would happen to their homes with the amount of rain predicted for the next few weeks.
More than 30 workers from three area Home Depot stores rose to the challenge, meeting the non-profit Northeast Florida Builders Association Builders Care volunteers and working hand in hand to provide temporary protection for the homes. The goal was to keep the houses from further damage through the rainstorms caused by Hurricane Charley.
“Home Depot wants our community to know we’re there for them in good times and in bad times,” said Gary Williams, Lem Turner store manager.
Williams led the crew of 30 volunteers from Home Depot coordinating with Builders Care to get as many houses protected as possible.
Tarps were placed on more than 15 roofs that were damaged due to the tornado. Volunteers worked in the rain and through the day to get the job done.
Homeowners were grateful to have protection from rain that would cause even more damage to their already vulnerable homes.
“Home Depot and Builders Care were responding to the emergency needs of people who could be in life-threatening situations,” said Chris Simons, director of operations for Builders Care. “We came out to provide temporary assistance to protect the homeowners valuables by mobilizing volunteers and helping those in distress.”