WWII veteran's home ravaged by Harvey gets repaired

HOUSTON - Life is getting a bit easier today for a World War Two veteran. He’s been living in a condemned house since his home flooded in Harvey but now his house in Texas City is home again.

Wearing masks and trying to stay safe in this pandemic was just the latest crisis for Lorenzo Jamerson who never actually recovered from flooding in Harvey. The 97-year-old was living in his home full of mold all this time until a non-profit heard his story.

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The World War II veteran didn’t have flood insurance so after high water from Hurricane Harvey had its way in his home, he never moved out. Wet walls soon turned to immeasurable mold.

"The mold was everywhere, not just up to the water level but it had for two and a half years, it moved through the house. Even when we began to take down sheetrock in the ceilings we were finding mold,” explains John Eckeberger the Executive Director of the 4B Disaster Response Network.

The non-profit was started after Harvey to help renovate homes within the four B’s, the Beltway to the beach, Brazoria County to the Bay. Mr. Jamerson’s makes the 416th house the group has renovated.

“Volunteers from area churches went in in hazmat suits and respirators,” says Eckeberger.

The group only found out about the 97-year-old thanks to his granddaughter.

"She moved in to help him. She began to get sick immediately, two trips to the emergency room where she was coughing up blood,” Eckeberger explains. 

"Before 4B came, the house was not livable. It smells different, looks different. I can breathe better. I don’t have to worry about getting sick anymore,” says Jamerson’s Granddaughter Monique Giles.

Mr. Jamerson has lived in a trailer in front of his home since the group started working on his house in March.

"He is a very honorable person who has lived a long time and deserves something better,” said Giles. 

Now he’s moving back into the home he deserves. “It’s just like new. I’m very grateful and I’m thankful to God for the blessing,” says Jamerson.

4B works almost solely on donations and volunteers. They still have 260 area homes on their list to renovate that were flooded in Harvey.