The recent flooding and neighboring counties of Lewis and Upshire have caused devastating losses. The floodwaters and the destruction left in both areas are reminiscent of that of the 1985 flood. In some parts of Western and Weston and Buchanan, there have been talk that the total loss was worse this time around.
As is the case with most disasters, there was little warning and no time to prepare. In some cases, the water dropped just as fast as it came up. In other scenarios, the waters remained at a high level for a longer period of time, adding the additional stress of people being trapped in dangerous places. There is no place like home unless there is no way out. And the water is rising.
Once the last of the water subsided, it was time to get to work. Leaders stepped up and made a plan. The National Guard rolled in and volunteers moved into the decimated counties that were physically and mentally fractured. I’ve been through a similar situation years ago. We had a house fire that left us homeless, less than a week before Christmas. The feeling of emptiness is overwhelming, and it leaves you feeling exhausted.
In this case, there was no time to rest, as there was a time crunch to remove all of the ruined remnants of what was their previous lives. There were timelines in place for everything that needed to be hauled away, to be out in curbside, or it would be the responsibility of the homeowner, to have it removed. It’s not as simple as just taking items out of houses. The several inches of sludge left after the waters left had to be shoveled out, and that stuff is extremely heavy. Old carpet had to be ripped up and wrangled, which is no easy chore. All of this is labor intensive work that many of these older individuals cannot do on their own. They were in desperate need of help, and they needed it fast.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Our community has always been one that has been willing to roll up its sleeves and get to work. On the football field of the basketball courts, the Minutemen and the Bucks are opponents. But in this case, they are our teammates. We are fighting against the same arch rival, and even though it’s late in the game and the scoreboard isn’t looking good, there’s no giving up because there’s no way we are giving up .
Pulling together when it matters the most is the greatest feeling in the world. Helping someone in need is the best feeling you can ever have. Take it from me. You never know when you will be the one on the other end.
If you haven’t had time to help, there’s still more work to do, and there are several families in need if you would like to donate. There is a long way to go to achieve recovery, but with our help, our friends next door can get there sooner. I have a feeling if the situation were reversed, and we were in their shoes, they would be here with us.
That will do it for now! Until next week, take care . . .and God bless!!!
