While the water is slowly receding to its banks in many areas, the need for Red Cross assistance goes on. To be totally honest, floods are just disgusting disasters. After the water is gone, a gross mess of mud and debris are left. (And to think I belly ache about dirt on my kitchen floor!)
Below is a video from Clark County, Illinois. Our videographer not only captured the current situation facing these communities, but also the spirit of a resilient people!
It is no secret that we have had some pretty intense flooding in central Illinois lately. Red Cross has been all over the news with images of volunteers helping people to get back on their feet. It’s all pretty inspiring.
But in truth… I am tired.
For me, the floods started 3 weeks ago. It was a typical week, working long days and yearning for the weekend. On top of all the normal busyness, it was the week of Evening of Stars. This is the major fundraiser for our Bloomington chapter, and the speaker was Amy Grant. It was an amazing night and Amy’s story was perfect for the event. The weather, however, was less than perfect. A huge storm system was slowly moving through central Illinois, dumping inches of rain on an already saturated landscape. I look back now and chuckle. I was worried about my hair being ruined that night. I had no idea that in the coming weeks I would be wearing a hat almost everyday.
There I sat at the table in my nice dress and super hairsprayed hair listening to Amy sing when a call came through about wind damage in Quincy and evacuations in Roanoke. As Amy finished her keynote address, Alyssa, our Regional Emergency Services Director, and I were in the hall checking on Quincy and Roanoke. The event ended soon after, and when I got home at 11pm, the press releases and calls started. With the last call at 2am, it was definitely a long night.
The next day, I found myself in the middle of a full scale disaster. Flash flooding caused more evacuations and more shelters opened. The Red Cross volunteer troops quickly descended on the chapter in Peoria and it was game on. We watched river levels, prepared for the worst and hoped for the best. I worked nonstop, learning as I went. We had flooding in almost all of our 39 counties and, at times, it seemed that there was no end in sight. The experts called it a historical flood, and they were right. Born and raised in central Illinois, I had never seen its likeness.
As the days turned into weeks, my son and boyfriend started getting restless, asking when I could work normal hours again and take a weekend off. Apparently, they are not fans of disaster response Erin who is seldom home. I have to admit, that I was growing weary of her, too. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do, but disasters in your own community can be hard. Thankfully, last night, the following conversation happened which helped me to get some things back into perspective.
My son: Are you getting paid more for working so much?
Me: (with a laugh) Nope.
My son: Then why are you doing this?
Me: Because this is what the Red Cross does. When disasters happen, we are there to help people.
My son: I know, but you are not the Red Cross.
Me: Yeah, I really kinda am.
My son looked at me like I was nuts. He is 16, so he doesn’t really get it yet that life isn’t all about you. He retreated to his room to practice his trumpet, and I sat there alone on the porch with my thoughts.
In the last few weeks…
Why am I doing this? The answer is quite simple. Because this is what the Red Cross does, therefore this is what I do. I may be tired, my family may be sick of freezer meals and the laundry may be piling up, but truth is, there is nowhere else I would rather be.
Me with one of my new friends, Dick. He is my favorite disaster assessment guy, and he left Peoria with a new friend. And please notice the hat, I have pretty much lived in it the last few weeks!
Is your business prepared for disaster? The Ready Rating program helps businesses, organizations and schools become better prepared for emergencies. No one is exempt from disaster. In fact 94% of small business owners believe an emergency will occur within the next two years. For Bill Mix, the emergency is all too real.
Bill has owned the Trading Post on Clark Street in Utica, Illinois for 25 years. It was no surprise when the Illinois River began rising to flood stage. Bill and other business’ had about a day and a half notice. In preparation, he made a decision to move his merchandise out. He hired 10 people, two trucks, and some trailers, and they took almost everything out before the water came.
That was not the case for other business across the street. A strip mall with about 10 stores was completely flooded. All are closed at this time with merchandise in front of the stores drying out. Bill has spent the last couple of days bringing his merchandise back. He has hired carpenters to remove damaged drywall in the lower part of the business that incurred more than 3 feet of water. A bigger problem for Bill, are the rental properties that he owns behind the business. All three were filled with up to three feet of water. They were rented, and are now not habitable and that income is gone. Piles of insulation, carpet furniture, and other personal items are in front of each home.
Bill does not want to go through another flood. When he bought the building 25 years ago there had not been a flood in 100 years. Now this is the second flood since 2005. Bill says a local newspaper wrote that 35 homes and business’ in Utica were affected by the flooding. He loves the business, and it is a good business. Families come in and bring their children. Later the children come in as grown ups and bring their children. But Bill says, ”I may not be here the next time it floods”.
Up to 40% of businesses don’t survive an emergency/disaster, with 80% going out of business if not back up within a month. Are you prepared? Ready Rating can help. It’s free. It’s easy. The time to prepare for the next disaster is now. Just sign up, complete a self-paced, online self assessment and you can see your current readiness level and receive immediate, customized feedback with tips to improve preparedness.
Bill Mix receives some much need comfort from the Red Cross as he busily works to salvage his business and rentals.
Client Casework team working on the Illinois flood relief operation
Many volunteers will tell you a story about being “re-wired” because of something that happened to them. A life changing event that is now their “Red Cross Story.” Many people have one of these stories but others were “born this way” with the wiring to be an angel on the battlefield…When you ask them why they do it, you will hear the same few responses over and over.
This is an amazing story that I absolutely had to post. Not only does it show the awesomeness of Red Cross volunteers, but it also illustrates an amazing story of neighbors helping neighbors in central Illinois.
Below is an overview of what happened to Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) drivers, Jim Bob, Bernie and Deb, on their route in Mason county 2 days ago.
Jim Bob, Deb and Bernie loaded up their ERV to go on their mobile feeding route in Mason County.
After they finished their pre set route, they went a little off the beaten path and found this road in Lynchburg Township. After talking to a few locals, they discovered that there were approximately 40 homes on the other side with no way out.
Residents on the peninsula turned island were using boats to reach food and water.
One local man came upon the crew and said he would carry supplies to the other side. The crew was concerned, but he insisted his tractor would make it across.
So Deb, Bernie and Jim Bob loaded up his trailer with all the supplies they had left.
Clean up kits, food and water from the ERV were loaded for the stranded people on the other side.
With a full load, the local gentleman was on his way, through the flood waters.
He had solid road starting off.
But slowly the water got deeper.
This was the deepest it got and, according to Jim Bob, Deb and Bernie, it was a nail biting experience to watch the tractor make the trip.
Let me point out the obvious right now. No one should ever drive through flood waters. You have no idea whether the road underneath is washed away or how deep the water is, but this Mason County man would not be deterred. He had traveled the route, and he knew how many people were at stake. He risked his own safety to help his neighbors and prove that even though they were on an island, they were not alone.
On a cresting a hill rolling into to Browning, Ill., American Red Cross workers met Pat Briney, rural letter carrier for the United States Postal Service. Browning is a small village of about 100 residents nestled into a valley along the Illinois River. Briney has been putting letters into mailboxes in the small community for more than a decade. She was happy to see the Red Cross, but teary-eyed for the people of the small town, especially the large population of senior citizens.
Briney described how Browning residents were virtually cut off because of the road closing. She said the residents would need to drive 
many, many miles on rural roads from the south end of the town just to get what they need.
“The post office is flooded up to its windows,” said Briney. “The water started Monday, and it’s inhabitable.”
Some other buildings in Browning were entirely surrounded by water. The town’s fire trucks and emergency vehicles had to be driven up to higher ground because the firehouse was flooded. A playground that would normally be filled with children’s laughter was filled with floodwater instead. Residents were still able to get two hot meals a day at the local senior center, where they could see the water lapping nearby as they looked out windows.
Browning is strong, resilient community. The Red Cross stands ready to support the needs of residents as the floodwaters recede. To support American Red Cross disaster relief for communities like Browning and others across the Midwest devastated by flooding, text REDCROSS to 90999, call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcross.org.
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