Flood Relief

Two weeks ago, the city flooded. It rained hard in this area; it rained hard in the hills and that rain

coursed down through our river. The river rose dramatically within a matter of minutes, sweeping feet of water and silt into houses in all the low parts of town. Some residents realized their houses were about to flood, so climbed to the second floor of their homes. The water kept rising and they had nowhere left to go. The search & rescue team was out in rubber boats, plucking people from the roofs of their houses and transporting them to safety. 

Evacuation posts were set up throughout the city, and flood victims slept in churches, schools, and other centres opened for them. Grocery stores ran out of Instant Noodles, eggs, and rice because they were being bought up to feed the evacuees.

By last week, the river was back down to a normal level. Some houses were destroyed; others were damaged and all contents were coated with a thick layer of muck. 

Students and staff from the Bible School here spent the week helping the flood relief efforts in town. We shovelled and pushed mud and water out of homes, yards, and gutters. We carried belongings out of houses and piled them on the sides of the street to get them out of the way. We gathered up trash that had been carried into town by the river. We washed mud out of dishes and scrubbed it out of clothes. 

What we were doing felt like a drop in a bucket, but we were happy to help, even if only in a small way. 

This would make a good ending, but unfortunately, the following weekend, the city flooded again. Now some of those victims are right back where they started...or maybe even worse off.   :(