ST. LOUIS – Arthur Dunlap, a 73-year-old air force vet, was in a state of shock during the May 16 tornado.
“I didn’t realize the real gravity until I thought about my neighbor’s house sitting over here,” Dunlap said.
The house next to Dunlap’s collapsed during the storm and is now leaning on his home, causing even more damage.
“It’s like that’s the twilight zone,” Dunlap said.
Dunlap’s porch was covered in tree limbs and debris. His door was obstructed, but he was able to push his way out.
Dunlap said his health is also a concern, with mold, mildew, insects and rodents now finding their way into his home from the collapsed house.
Dunlap applied for FEMA money and was awarded an amount that was not enough to cover the debris removal of the home or repairing the damage done.
Dunlap said the home has special meaning to him and his whole family. It’s also located in the historic Ville neighborhood, which Dunlap and his family want to preserve.
Public records showed the home has been owned by the same people for years, but Dunlap said the owners are deceased and it’s the family who lived there prior to the storm.
FOX 2 reached out to the city of St. Louis and learned property taxes have been paid on the property, but the deed has not been updated.
Dunlap said he submitted contractor estimates to FEMA to see if he can get an increase in funds for help, and while he is worried time is running out to save his home, he said he is holding out hope that he can save what he calls his family’s home base.
“I’ll still be there and not going nowhere,” Dunlap said. “My mom and daddy and our military heritage are not going anywhere.”
FOX 2 contacted the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for information on how to approach situations like these. They responded with this statement, saying:
“FEMA does not disclose information about an impacted resident’s application.”
In general, FEMA encourages people with uninsured losses to stay in touch about their situation and specific needs.
Residents can stay in touch at a Disaster Recovery Center, online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone at 1-800-621-3362.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
