Hampton's hometown ordeal

[SD2042]

http://news.steelers.com/article/97120/



"Hampton grew up in Galveston, Texas, an area that was ravaged by Hurricane Ike. Hampton’s family was among those that suffered devastating losses.

“A lot of my cousins lost pretty much everything,” said Hampton. “My stepdad lost everything. My mom had four feet of water in her house, she didn’t lose everything because she didn’t have carpeting and didn’t get the mold. That’s what hurt most of my family is the mold got everywhere from the carpeting. They had seven or eight feet of water.”

Hampton’s mother, Ivory Anderson, lives in a portion of Galveston where the sea wall is built up and that is what protected her from a total loss. She did lose furniture and things that were on the floor, but was able to save many things as well. It’s still too much for her to have to deal with.

“She wants to move,” said Hampton. “Her house didn’t have any structural damage, it just got flooded. She just doesn’t want to deal with it any more. I am probably going to get another house for her somewhere.

“I wouldn’t mind her staying. That is where we are from. That is where I am from. But if she wants to leave that is up to her. All of my family members that were there lost everything. They are done. They are not going back. There is nothing for them to go home to. They are going to try and start over where they are.”