WEBVTT 00:01.990 --> 00:04.909 Beauty from ashes . I believe that to 00:04.909 --> 00:05.710 my core . 00:09.189 --> 00:11.560 Today I have uh Tina Siegel with us , 00:11.909 --> 00:14.020 and we're visiting her property after 00:14.020 --> 00:16.020 the debris removal that the US Army 00:16.020 --> 00:17.742 Corps of Engineers conducted . 00:20.299 --> 00:22.299 We left on Monday because we had an 00:22.299 --> 00:24.299 alert from the city that there were 00:24.299 --> 00:26.739 life threatening high winds , and I 00:26.739 --> 00:28.961 just thought , well , gosh , let's just 00:28.961 --> 00:30.795 leave . So I didn't really bring 00:30.795 --> 00:33.459 anything with me . Um , and then my son 00:33.459 --> 00:36.740 the next day called me very distraught , 00:36.979 --> 00:40.639 saying I just saw our house . In flames . 00:40.959 --> 00:42.903 And I said , no , no , don't , you 00:42.903 --> 00:45.015 don't know for sure . No , mom , it's 00:45.015 --> 00:48.560 our house . And that was just 00:48.560 --> 00:51.439 shocking . And just when you have your 00:51.439 --> 00:53.717 whole life in a little space like this , 00:53.959 --> 00:57.080 and it's a bunch of ashes , that was 00:57.080 --> 00:59.479 tough . That was hard . But we're 00:59.479 --> 01:01.919 resilient . We're resilient and our 01:01.919 --> 01:04.599 treasures are family , not bricks and 01:04.599 --> 01:08.540 mortar . My mother and her sister 01:09.110 --> 01:11.277 decided the two families were going to 01:11.277 --> 01:13.332 buy a house . They wanted a house on 01:13.332 --> 01:15.554 the beach . It was less than $200,000 . 01:15.629 --> 01:17.740 That was a lot of money for these two 01:17.740 --> 01:21.599 families . They just wanted a 01:21.599 --> 01:23.720 beach house for their families to 01:23.720 --> 01:26.239 create long lasting memories . So we 01:26.239 --> 01:29.239 have 5 decades of memories , uh , there 01:29.239 --> 01:32.519 and 20 here . We had great grandparents , 01:32.720 --> 01:34.949 grandparents , parents , children , 01:35.120 --> 01:38.199 grandchildren . So 5 to 6 generations 01:38.199 --> 01:41.360 of , of family has had birthdays , 01:41.400 --> 01:45.029 baptisms , Christmases , Easters , 01:45.319 --> 01:49.300 to see it all like this is . Quite 01:49.300 --> 01:52.500 overwhelming . We were so grateful . 01:53.269 --> 01:55.989 We were so impressed with the army , 01:56.069 --> 01:58.349 their efficiency , the speed in which 01:58.349 --> 02:02.190 they uh removed the debris , and the 02:02.190 --> 02:05.400 sensitivity and compassion that you and 02:05.400 --> 02:09.389 your team had was what we needed in 02:09.389 --> 02:11.190 this time of , of sadness . 02:17.690 --> 02:19.746 The first thing that I found when we 02:19.746 --> 02:21.968 came on this property before we , first 02:21.968 --> 02:24.550 time we saw it days after the fire was 02:24.550 --> 02:27.300 a cross that I had in my courtyard . 02:34.990 --> 02:36.919 Uh , you came in , you felt like 02:37.289 --> 02:39.622 everything was under control . You were , 02:39.622 --> 02:41.900 uh , the guy with the excavator , Greg . 02:42.279 --> 02:44.501 He was just doing everything gently and 02:44.501 --> 02:46.446 like , you know , oh , we think we 02:46.446 --> 02:48.446 found something , Tina , what , you 02:48.446 --> 02:48.210 know , is this something of 02:48.210 --> 02:51.169 significance to you ? And so I just 02:51.169 --> 02:53.940 felt that they were taking care of us . 02:54.250 --> 02:56.800 I mean , it's very emotional to see it . 02:57.850 --> 03:01.839 Gives us hope for the next generation , 03:01.970 --> 03:04.729 the next generations that they will be 03:04.729 --> 03:07.169 able to enjoy a new house , new 03:07.169 --> 03:10.160 chapters . We're gonna create the next 03:10.770 --> 03:14.770 home , the next homes for my children , 03:14.889 --> 03:17.111 my grandchildren , and their children . 03:20.970 --> 03:23.050 My first reaction when the house was 03:23.050 --> 03:25.272 burning , I'm like , there's no way I'm 03:25.272 --> 03:27.570 rebuilding . And literally within 24 03:27.570 --> 03:29.970 hours , I said , no , no , no , we're 03:29.970 --> 03:32.081 gonna rebuild . We're gonna rebuild . 03:33.740 --> 03:35.779 This is part of our legacy . 03:37.729 --> 03:40.960 Seeing this clean slate , we're getting 03:40.960 --> 03:43.410 excited about the rebuild . 03:54.449 --> 03:57.399 This tree was planted 50 years ago . 03:57.490 --> 04:00.050 Previous owner planted it , and it's 04:00.050 --> 04:03.369 been sort of our , our little icon for 04:03.369 --> 04:06.330 our property . When we saw it , it was 04:06.330 --> 04:10.320 completely black . We were so sad . And 04:10.320 --> 04:12.542 then a few weeks later we came back and 04:12.542 --> 04:14.820 we saw little green sprouts coming out . 04:14.830 --> 04:17.000 So , oh my God , he's alive . God can 04:17.000 --> 04:19.839 make beauty from ashes and truly that 04:19.839 --> 04:22.006 is , could not be more significant for 04:22.006 --> 04:24.329 us that , you know , there is hope , 04:24.410 --> 04:26.799 there's new life , there's new chapters 04:26.799 --> 04:28.743 ahead . I think I'm gonna name him 04:28.743 --> 04:32.670 Phoenix . OK , Phoenix . You're going 04:32.670 --> 04:36.160 to see my great grandchildren . Great 04:36.160 --> 04:38.271 great grandchildren , we'd look after 04:38.271 --> 04:39.271 them for me . 04:44.420 --> 04:46.531 Thank you so much for taking the time 04:46.531 --> 04:48.587 to speak with me today . I know it's 04:48.587 --> 04:50.753 been a difficult journey and we really 04:50.753 --> 04:52.809 appreciate your willingness to share 04:52.809 --> 04:54.864 your story . Your voice really helps 04:54.864 --> 04:56.864 understand the real impact of these 04:56.864 --> 04:59.087 disasters and the recovery that follows 04:59.087 --> 05:01.031 for all the individuals impacted . 05:03.200 --> 05:05.359 My experience was incredible 05:05.359 --> 05:08.429 communication . Honesty , 05:08.839 --> 05:12.739 um . Being compassionate , getting 05:12.739 --> 05:14.820 the job done quickly and efficiently 05:15.260 --> 05:18.899 and for free . So I don't know 05:18.899 --> 05:21.380 why anyone would not opt in . I don't 05:21.380 --> 05:23.491 understand that . I'd rather have the 05:23.491 --> 05:26.339 whole US Army behind me than Bob's 05:26.339 --> 05:30.059 removal company . So we have no 05:30.059 --> 05:33.739 regrets . God 05:33.739 --> 05:36.700 can make beauty from ashes and truly 05:36.700 --> 05:38.922 that is , could not be more significant 05:38.922 --> 05:40.978 for us . There is hope , there's new 05:40.978 --> 05:42.579 life , new chapters ahead .