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Strong Waters, Stronger Friendships |
| Theallineed.com |
By the time the angry, muddy waters of the Black River breached their banks in Piedmont, Missouri, in mid-March, heavy rains had been falling for a week, long enough to raise the river eight to ten feet above flood stage. Homes had floated off their foundations, propane tanks were bobbing like corks in the torrent, and campers had come loose from their connections far upriver and floated to rest in carports and back yards.
"There was no time to get out," said Jimmy Morales, an unfortunate homeowner. "One of our dogs barked, and I looked out the door and saw the water coming in a wave up the street. We only had fifteen to twenty minutes before it was right at our doorstep."
Jimmy and his wife, Jennifer, barely had time to flee as waist-deep water poured through their front door. As both their cars floated away, the couple scooped up their two cats and three dogs and took them to a neighbor's two-story home for safety. They found the neighbor asleep in his recliner, sitting in water up to his chest.
 | | The home of Jimmy and Jennifer Morales was inundated with chest-deep water when the Black River overflowed near Piedmont, MO. Shown here (l-r) are Red Cross volunteer Allen Crabtree, Jennifer and Jimmy Morales. (Greg Gaines, American Red Cross Piedmont, MO March 24, 2008 ) |
"He was still watching TV, and when Jennifer woke him, he tried to change the channels," Jimmy said. "We really had a hard time convincing him to move upstairs with us so he would be safe."
As the group huddled on the second floor, Jimmy looked out the back window and saw another neighbor trapped in his single-story home with his wife. They were unable to open their door or windows and had taken refuge on the kitchen cabinets. Jimmy swam over to their house and smashed a window so they could escape.
As the waters continued to rise, the Missouri State Water Patrol and State Highway Patrol began launching boats to rescue people. One such boat ferried Jimmy, Jennifer, and their neighbors to safety. They were taken to a Red Cross shelter at the Harvest Baptist Church in Piedmont, where they were able to dry off, eat a hot meal, and contemplate what the future held for them.
Victims Helping Victims
After a few days, the flood waters of the Black River had partially receded and roads had become passable. Jimmy and Jennifer were able to return to their home, or what was left of it. They found one of their cars perched atop stumps in a neighbor's yard; the other had floated to the very edge of the river. One of them actually started and appeared to be running fine, so the couple have transportation for the time being.
"Now that we have wheels again, we're looking after our neighbors," said Jennifer. "We talked the owner of a seasonal motel in town into renting all of us rooms, and we were able to move out of the Red Cross shelter after a few days. We appreciated all the help the Red Cross gave us, but we know we couldn't stay there forever."
When the Red Cross opened a Service Distribution Site in town, Jimmy and Jennifer were there to apply for emergency family assistance. Red Cross volunteer Kris Thompson interviewed them and issued them a Client Assistance Card so they could buy food, clothing, and prescriptions help pay for temporary housing and repairs. Later, they brought many of their neighbors to the Red Cross site so they could apply for emergency assistance as well and pick up some cleaning supplies.
Jimmy and Jennifer plan to stay in their neighborhood. They have no flood insurance and have lost nearly everything, but in the six years they have owned their home they have developed strong ties with their neighbors. With the emergency assistance they received from the Red Cross, they have been given a chance to catch their breath, plan their future, and return some of the good will they received by helping their neighbors.
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| About the Author |
©2006 All rights reserved
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| Quotes | By convention!
cussed Tom airily.
Cmon Scully... Itll be a nice trip through the woods-Fox Mulder
But what ... is it good for?
Engineer at IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.
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