“It was heartbreaking”: Homeowner faces long recovery after flash flooding
By Joyce Ogirri
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LANESVILLE, Indiana (WLKY) — Nearly a week after devastating flash flooding swept through Lanesville, many residents are still dealing with the aftermath. For Ruth Price, the cleanup is far from over.
Price says floodwaters rushed toward her home last Tuesday after nearly eight inches of rain fell in just a few hours, overwhelming parts of the community.
“It come down that driveway just like a river. And this street out here. It was like a river. Water running down every place,” Price said.
She watched as water poured into her basement.
“It is scary to stand there and watch that water come in your yard and go into my basement,” Price said. “I went down there to shut the doors, and the water was so swift, it just pushed them open.”
Price says the floodwaters rose to the steps leading to her home but stopped short of entering the main living area.
“It get up on my second step, on my steps. That comes up to the house. But that was as far as it got,” she said.
As the water receded, the full extent of the damage became clear.
Price has lived in her home for more than 60 years and says she has never experienced flooding like this before. Mud, dirt and debris coated her basement walls, leaving behind a difficult cleanup.
“It had a lot of dirt, mud, mulch. It got up on the walls,” she said.
Now, fans run constantly as she works to dry out the basement and salvage what she can.
Because her home is not located in a designated floodplain, Price did not have flood insurance. She says the flooding destroyed her refrigerator, freezer, washer, dryer and other belongings.
“It was kind of, I don’t know, heartbreaking, I guess you could say, to see all that stuff that we have had over the years get destroyed with all of this flood water,” Price said.
As she continues to recover, Price hopes government assistance may help offset some of the costs. In the meantime, she remains focused on moving forward.
“We’ll all survive. And with God’s help, we’ll get through it all,” she said.
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