Home Remained Fairly Unscathed

Sunday, July 20, 2008 at 11:22 PM

Good Evening All,

Attached is a photograph I took today of Gary and Debra McCulley. Gary is laid off from Tri-State Envelope. Debra is a 5th-grade teacher at Wapello Elementary School, Wapello, Iowa. She is getting ready to return to the school after her summer break.

At first glance, as I was driving by, it appeared to me that they were among those more fortunate in the aftermath of the 2008 floods. Their modular home, built high enough to withstand extreme floodwaters, remained fairly unscathed. It required some minor repairs, compared to the surrounding devastation, to the electrical and water systems, and to the insulation underneath.

The day after the levee broke in mid-June, their son Scott went to check on his mom and dad. His truck was found on higher ground about a quarter mile away. Gary points, “Just up there. I guess he was just comin' ta check on things; not real sure.” Scott’s body was found a couple of days later, two and a half miles downstream. He would have been 36 on July 27th. The McCullys lost their daughter in a car accident back in ’96.

Gary chuckles when he says that FEMA told him they would pay for Scott's funeral. “Seems like they really don’t intend to pay. I reckon I never really expected them to; don’t know why they told me they would. Ah well.”

I have had numerous requests from many of you asking, “Is there anything we can do?” Other than coming out here, breaking your back, throwing up in your respirator … These people would not even accept any help from me. “There’s other folks need it more than us; but thanks.” They agreed to let me take their picture, however, when I said I would like to tell their story back home.

Gary and Debra McCulley

Midwest Devastated — MSM MIA

BigKen the Pilot
Burlington, Iowa
July 18, 2008

Greetings All,

Thanks for all of your kind comments. The real heroes, however, are the residents out here with their surprisingly optimistic and good-spirited disposition. My body was insistent I take a short break. I chose to take the day to look around at some other areas in need as well as grab an airplane from Burlington for an aerial perspective and photos.

I was in awe at how widespread the damage and current status of devastation and water still remain. It seems criminal that this would get such little national coverage. Hundreds, possibly thousands of farms and farmhouses have been destroyed. Some you can still only access by boat, still weeks away from "mudding out". The town of Gulfport, Illinois (across from Burlington, Iowa) is still submerged after one month. The water has only receded from the second story down to mid-first story levels. It was as high as the wires on the telephone poles in some areas. This, unfortunately, is only a small percentage of the damage, and the people who have been affected are still in distress throughout Iowa and Illinois.

The smells are foul and repugnant. In the town they are unidentifiable, and will never be forgotten. Come dinnertime at the Red Cross truck, the flies are just as hungry as we are. You learn to share if you intend to eat. The smells out in the farmland (the "bottom", as the locals call it) are of rotting livestock and dead fish.

I have also had the opportunity to talk with a handful of the displaced citizens from the towns and farms alike. They are as eager to tell their story, as we are to listen. They can cry and laugh about their experience at the same time. They are extremely grateful for the help, and send thanks across the country. Remarkable resilient people.

The work and conditions are intense, though just as gratifying. I seem to be the only one, currently, with a generator and a couple of sump pumps, so tomorrow it’s back to the basements.

KK

P.S. I’ll be sending three emails following this; sorry, had to share just a few of the pics!

  
  
  

American Self-Reliance Alive in the Heartland

My bro-in-law, BigKen the Pilot, reports from Iowa:
Greetings from Oakville, Iowa. I can’t begin to portray what is to be seen out here. The attached pictures, as usual, do not do it justice. Though there is non-stop activity, it has an eerie, ghost-town feel to it. The smell is vile. I took most of the photos later in the day so as not to appear too callous. There's a lot to convey and I do not know where to begin ... Anyway, it is late in the day, and there are some exhaustive days ahead, therefore, I will be brief. It's an ugly scene and may remind some of us of other places we'd rather not remember, absent the word "unfriendly". Present, however, are disaster relief volunteers from all over the country. After talking to some of the few remaining locals, it appears that FEMA has been great! From what the locals say, all you have to do is make initial contact with them [FEMA]. Is this something new? [I believe BigKen is questioning the validity of the vitriolic criticisms hurled at the Federal relief effort in the aftermath of Katrina — TheBigHenry] The Red Cross and various other relief organizations have all been amazing, too. They provide an endless flow of supplies, etc. Everyone pitches in wherever they can. We tear everything out of the flooded-out homes: belongings, cabinets, drywall; down to the studs. I spent the evening pumping out a basement with the homeowner and removing all of its contents; nasty stuff. I can’t fathom rebuilding this town. I have also attached a couple of pix from a few weeks ago. More later.