43 Comments on Voices from the Flood: Wendell and Michelle
JUN
20
2008
Steve, good job I like the way you do it, we are very far from you, on the other side of the globe, and in this sort of disaster affected people need help.
What a great piece. You may want to add this to the blog for a cause group. Being from SE Wisconsin, I know so many people affected by the water! Mother nature - never know what she can do!!
April,
...Mother nature can knock you down, but I haven't seen anyone in my town not get back up.
...but we are getting tired!
Thanks for your kind words,
Steve
Greetings from Hurricane Katrina Alley. We can definitely feel your pain, because the people who live here have been through it. Basements don't readily exist here, so the water had no where to go but into their homes.
Many people lost their their homes in the MS Gulf Coast and New Orleans, LA, and everything they have ever known.
Many Realtors on the Gulf Coast lost their homes and all of their business. After almost 3 years, life for them is just now starting to come back.
May God bless you with strength and dryer weather.
Wow, that is heart wrenching. We have our fair share of flooding here in the Houston area but it usually happens fast. Two weeks already wow. People do truly come together after that kind of disaster though.
You guys are amazing. To take time out of basically saving your lives to write to us to inform us of your plight is simply incrediable. I feel honored. May the all the power of whatever faith you follow be bestowed upon you and those in your situation. Good luck and stay strong.
People are in such difficulty we don't appreciate it. With out stories like this the personl side would be missing, thanks for the story and I wish I could help.
Thank you for putting this post together. It makes the news stories that we see on TV come to life. The way that everyone has come together to face this crisis in inspirational.
I just can't imagine how awful this must be, I have never experienced flooding, as we are in Georgia we don't get near enough of the water we need. But how incredible people are when in a crisis, pulling together like the old days!! My thoughts and prayers are with you all and what you are going through.
Noel,
Sometimes, divine intervention is a neighbor to help you. Sometimes it's a break in the clouds.
Sometimes, it's a kind word. Thank you for keeping flood victims in your thoughts.
Steve
Obeoman
I am very saddened by the pics and the vids. I pray that God would give these families grace in their time of need. I also wish that this current time of despair would one day be a source of strength to themselves and their friends.
I guess I needed a good cry this morning (before I head out for a friend's funeral). I love seeing the courage and strength of these people, though. God has put in humans an amazing ability to recover from difficulty and go on when the going gets tough.
I worked down in New Orleans after Katrina devistated the area and never thought this would happen to my home town. Show the world what we are made of......the people of the Gulf Coast states pulled together helping each other like never before so will the Midwest. My prayers and thoughts are will you all.
...absolutely no one expected this at all. Pulling together is a way of life in the small communities of the midwest-we sure could take some lessons from the folks of New Orleans.
We are in Maryland and have had our share of flooding, although I can not remember when it was as bad as yours is now. Take heart, you sound like you are not the sort to give up and that is wonderful. We will keep you and yours in our hearts and prayers.
Thanks for taking your time to share the story going on here in Jefferson County. Not only is this flood affecting the people who live on the river, but those of us who just have to travel around Ft. Atkinson and Jefferson. The Rock River has so many roads closed that in the city of Jefferson to go one mile away from your home, you may have to travel 20 miles! I know that is nothing though, compared to the devastation that the people whose homes are flooding face, All of us know at least one family who have been pumping water and sandbagging for weeks now. Today, it appears the river may be going down just a touch, we noticed that a right of way marker on Hwy 106 east of Fort looks like it may be sticking just a little bit more out of the water. I just ask one thing. When people include the victims in their prayers,could they also include all the volunteers, the city workers, the highway department employees, the police departments, fire departments and all the prisoners from the correctional facilities who have put in so many hours to try and help with sandbagging, filling bags, keeping roads free from water and anything else they might have done. Sometimes those of us not directly affected forget about all the people in the background, working so many extra hours to try and help out.
Jacque,
Thanks for pointing out how important our emergency responders are to all of us. Arkansas has had its fair share of tornadoes and floods as well. This years floods, tornadoes, wildfires and many other catistrophic events should reinforce to us how important a role they play and how important they are to us especially when we need them. Most of us will never experience what it is like to be saved by a fireman or pulled out of a wrecked car by a policeman. All we know is when they have impacted our lives, we remember it forever. Floods, tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes, get most of the national media and we see many of those heroic events highlighted. Sometimes what is not caught on tape are all of those heros and heroic events. It is important for all of us to know that, every second of every day, there are people on call 24 hour a day, 7 days a week, ready to leave their homes and their families, put their lives in danger and to come to your aid. I think that's pretty awesome!! Those affected by mother nature. Hang in there! Maintain your hope!
Jacque,
Everyone has been affected by this, and it is only right to include all of those people you mention-ALL of them-in our hopes for the flood to recede soon and that the clean-up and long recovery goes well, without injury or harm to anyone.
Thank you for your total community spirit,
Steve
Obeoman
Jerry,
...appreciation and gratitude are due to you for pointing out the silent sentinels that serve us quietly.
I have had two uncles who are firemen and one served as a police officer.
Let's not forget the National Guard-salute them as well! It was really good to see them here in Fort and up in Jefferson, quietly helping the weary volunteers.
The river backed off today-a little.
Here's to hoping it will get a little better each day.
Thanks for stopping by,
Steve
Obeoman
My goodness that was the home that I grew up in and lived in until my HS graduation from FHS. My parents were Fred & Marion Dexheimer. My brother Bill lives in MN and my sister Helen lives in SC. I live in Fort Wayne, IN. I was probably ten or eleven in the last major flood. We sandbagged our dog pen behind the garage and I remember the dog sitting on the roof of his dog house. My Father put on chest waiters and pulled the neighborhood kids through the backyard in our boat. No water in the basement or damage to the garage or house. The Bark River was over the bridge. When I first saw the video I thought that I recognized the house but it has been forty years. I realized that it was our home when I received the same video stream from a former neighbor - Doug Merriman - last home on the street by the bridge. My heart goes out to Wendell and Michelle. I'll be in Fort this summer for my high school reunion.
Steve,
Thanks for sending this to me. Very inspirational. We've got a wary eye toward Ike now. I can tell you that I for one don't feel nearly as afraid as I used to when these things are coming. We have and always will get by. Looks that way all around the country. I hope I can meet you when I am in Milwaukee again. It's been a long time since I was up that way.
It rained all day yesterday and frankly ,it made me a litte uncomfortable! I was able to rest in knowing even when the river rises, so do the people to help each other.
Thanks for your kind words-I will pass them along at the Flood Survivor Party on the 20th.
Let me know if you are in the area anytime-be happy to swap storm stories with you!
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Steve, good job I like the way you do it, we are very far from you, on the other side of the globe, and in this sort of disaster affected people need help.