Project Floor by Flooret
When Hurricane Helene hit Florida's Gulf Coast in late September, it upended the lives of countless families. Among them are Natalie, Nick, and their two young daughters, who have been working tirelessly to restore their home in St. Petersburg.
Natalie and Nick met in law school, put down roots in the St. Pete area, and bought a home in 2020—a house that, in its 60-year history, had never flooded. But when Helene's flood waters came rushing in, their house sustained significant damage, with about 24 inches of contaminated "category 3" water filling the interior.
Natalie and Nick had evacuated many times before, but their return home wasn’t as easy this time. "It was just really sad," Natalie shared. "When we got home and we opened the door, it was smokey, like this big puff of smoke, and that was not what we were expecting." After the scare of a fire, they had to call the fire department to shut off the power before starting the difficult task of salvaging what they could.
With their home rendered unlivable, Natalie, Nick, and their daughters have been staying in a rental home while they work to rebuild. It's been an overwhelming experience, Natalie admits, as they've had to coordinate with contractors, insurance companies, and government agencies to get their house back in order.
“It's overwhelming how much we're going to have to put back together. I'm honestly trying to actively stay away from the house, because when I go there it's just really sad.” Natalie shared.
Amidst the chaos, they found Project Floor by Flooret, and we’re excited to help Natalie and Nick by providing new Modin Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring for their home.
"The whole the whole idea that somebody can take the burden off of us to not only financially cover something that is so important, but also the the headache and the emotional labor of everything... I can't tell you how many electricians, plumbers, roofers, contractors, I've called that tell me I can't get on the calendar for another six weeks at best. So just having you guys there to say, 'Hey, I'm sending these samples to you.' You don't even have to call people and and beg them to to put floors in or settle for whatever is available." Natalie said. "We're very, very grateful."
The family selected a beautiful, dark gray Hafren flooring from our Modin LVP Collection, which Natalie says will give their home a beautiful, classy look once the renovation is complete.
With the flooring taken care of, Natalie and Nick can focus their energy on the other necessary repairs, which they hope to have finished by Christmas, a time that is very special to them and their two young daughters.
"They love this time of year - Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas," Natalie said. "I'm really hoping we can get back in by the first of December, so we can at least try to make it feel a little bit normal for them."
Through it all, Natalie and Nick have been buoyed by the support of their community. While the road has been long, they're grateful for the chance to rebuild and create new memories in their family home.
If you or someone you know has been impacted by recent hurricanes and could benefit from Project Floor, please nominate them here.
