One Redditor is showing how ruthless a neighbor can be, even in the face of disaster, via a letter sent to their family following Hurricane Ian. The user explained that their family had been displaced from the storm after a tree had "wrecked" their home.
The letter was shared in the r/MildlyInfuriating forum and indicates that the sender was upset by the state of the family's property. "Unfortunately, your property is an eyesore," it reads. "With Hurricane Ian damage, your home has become even more unkempt and in disrepair."
The writer then encouraged the family to "take more pride" in their home — or "if you don't care, perhaps you might consider selling the property."
Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida in late September 2022. It was not only the strongest September hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane Irma in 2017, but one of the costliest to make landfall in the South. Experts estimate the storm cost over $47 billion in damage, killed 87 people, and caused over five million power outages across Florida and the Carolinas. And events like hurricanes and tropical storms are only expected to increase in severity and frequency because of climate-related disruptions.
Besides the obvious financial impact of the storms, natural disasters also cost people immeasurable amounts of emotional and psychosocial damage. It's clear that letters from this "concerned citizen" aren't helping heal the wounds of going through a traumatic event like a hurricane.
Other Reddit users were infuriated by the condescension and tone-deafness of the letter.
"What a horrid human," one user replied. "Who does this to someone when things are clearly already bad?"
"This is just so cruel, especially when so many people in that area suffered so much damage & are still dealing with it," another shared. This commenter went on to suggest posting the letter on emergency response providers' Facebook pages.
Others suggested printing the letter on a poster board and displaying it on the lawn for others to see or sending mail to the other neighbors to (not so politely) tell them to mind their own business.
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