Published: 11/28/2006
Day 5: For many Danversport families, home is a hotel
By Tom DaltonStaff writer
In many ways, it was a typical Monday for the Tobin family. Mom drove the two boys to school in the morning, and Dad took one of the boys to a Cub Scout meeting in the afternoon. The two cats stayed home and slept.
"I'm trying to keep a sense of normalcy," said Debra Tobin, 41.
That will be a challenge.
Life for the Tobin family was turned upside down last Wednesday morning by an explosion in a chemical plant near their home on Bates Street in Danversport. The house can be saved, but it will require extensive repairs, which means the Tobins are one of the many Danversport families forced to live in hotels and motels for the next few days, weeks and - in some cases - months.
In all, nearly 70 homes on Riverside, Bates and Water streets were either damaged or destroyed. While many of those left temporarily homeless are living with relatives or friends, a total of 29 families received hotel vouchers from the American Red Cross. Those vouchers were good for only three days, so those families are either covered by insurance or paying out of their own pockets. The stays could be long, and the bills large.
"At a minimum, two months we're going to be out," said Debra Tobin, as she sat by a counter in a two-room suite at the Homestead Studio Suites Hotel, an extended-stay residence in Centennial Industrial Park in Peabody.
A few miles away, a half-dozen Danversport neighbors sat around tables last night in the gatehouse, a lobby and eating area at the Marriott Residence Inn on Route 1 in Danvers. Many of the families have been living there since the accident. While accommodations are comfortable - the rooms have fireplaces - it is still not home.
"I wish I was back in my house, but this is better than nothing," said Kathy Surawski, 53, of 18 Bates St.
The Surawskis sat at a table in the common area last night chatting with Richard and Jacqueline Boudreau of 16 Bates St. - their longtime neighbors.
"We live 20 feet apart on Bates Street and 10 feet apart here," joked Bob Surawski, 53.
Many of the families interviewed yesterday appeared in good spirits, but every day is hectic and filled with emotion.
They meet with public adjusters and insurance inspectors to review the damages. They fill out forms, attend meetings and make countless phone calls. They think of all they've lost - and all they have.
