By Amy Miller, American Red Cross

“I never thought I’d ever have to do this again.” Amy Klinger was born and raised in Crooksville, OH. With two sons, six grandchildren, and a family legacy of cooking, waitressing and hospitality in the area, Amy’s family is deeply rooted in Crooksville.

But in early August, Klinger’s beloved hometown was impacted by multiple rounds of flash flooding. Flood waters from the creek behind her apartment building rose quickly, reaching upper floors of the building. “It came up quick and it was swift. We lost pretty much everything,” said Klinger, who believes only the photos on her walls and a few personal items on high cabinets are salvageable.

Klinger shared the apartment with her dog, Carter, and her mother. All three had to be rescued from the building when water rose up to waist-level inside their home.

“I went out a window. Carter had to swim,” said Klinger.

She and Carter are now staying at the Red Cross shelter in Perry County while they work on their next steps forward. Klinger shared that her progress with cleaning up her apartment has been impeded by multiple rounds of severe weather; her apartment has flooded three times total since August 11, 2026.

Klinger is grateful she and Carter have somewhere safe to stay at the nearby Red Cross shelter while they navigate cleaning up and finding a new place to live. This isn’t Klinger’s first encounter with recovering after flooding. Her apartment had previously flooded during severe weather in 2004. “I wasn’t with the Red Cross in 2004. I got to see it firsthand this time around. You guys are a godsend,” said Klinger.

“They’ve made sure we’ve been fed,” she said. “They’ve given me resources for while I’m here and after I leave.”

In addition to meals and a safe place to stay, the Red Cross provided food and supplies for Carter, and a vet visiting the shelter was able to examine her and give her vaccinations.

Klinger looks forward to putting this chapter of her life behind her, moving into a new apartment, and getting back to normal. She’s grateful to the Red Cross volunteers who are helping her along the way: “Thank you. I truly appreciate everything they’ve done for us.”