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New England Flooding Forces Families from Homes, Red Cross Responds
Written by
Katie Lawson
, Staff Writer, Redcross.org
Monday, May 22, 2006 — Rains that caused some of the worst flooding in 70 years in the New England region finally subsided in the water-soaked northeastern United States. Last week, more than a foot of rain brought widespread flooding to parts of the region—forcing hundreds of evacuations, washing out major roads and flooding numerous residences.
Early last week, Red Cross chapters in Massachusetts opened four shelters for those evacuated from their homes, and over the weekend as many as 18 Red Cross shelters were open in New Hampshire.
In New Market, N.H., after hearing the news they might be evacuated from their three-bedroom apartment, Kerry Florentino began making plans for her family of four. Florentino, her two children, Aryana and Dominic, and fiancé Philip Tatarczuk live near a 100-year old dam on the Lamprey River.
The first warning came from their landlord; Florentino and Tatarczuk immediately began readying for possible evacuation. Florentino anxiously packed two bags with clothes and other treasured belongings to take with them. Tatarczuk moved their car to a nearby gas station, and then there was nothing left to do but wait.
“It was hard to fall asleep because all I could see was water,” said Florentino.
Unfortunately the small dam, located just a block away from their home, was no match for the surge of water and it burst. In their basement, two sump pumps were working overtime but couldn't push the water out of the home fast enough. Water continued to fill the basement throughout the morning.
As it neared 2 a.m., the water in the basement was rising at an estimated half inch per minute. Florentino’s landlord arrived shortly after with local firefighters to help the family get out of their home, along with the bags they had packed and other belongings they could carry.
The family is staying with Tatarczuk's mother until they can get themselves back on their feet and hopefully return to their home. They planned to meet with workers at a Red Cross service center in Essex, N.H., to get help in meeting their immediate needs.
Although they may have lost family photos and drafts of Tatarczuk's original science fiction stories among other things, “at least we all got out,” said Florentino. "That's what matters."
Disaster can strike anytime, anywhere and with little or no warning. For information about preparing your home and family for potential disasters and life's emergencies, visit the Get Prepared section of RedCross.org, or contact your local chapter.
The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.
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