An Inside View of the Vernonia Flood

I am one of the hundreds of flood victims in Vernonia and have been working my butt off(along with most of my family, who have been outstanding in their support, help and love) to reclaim what little is left after the rising waters destroyed most of it. We have tossed out all the damaged furniture(I have a coffee table and a couple of chairs left - the rest is gone.) and other possessions and now we're up to the beginning of rebuilding/remodeling the place. Not only carpeting but walls have to be ripped out. New drywall has to be put up after the current walls are stripped, disinfected/bleached and then dried. After all that, every single wall has to be repainted. Hell of a mess and hell of a job putting humpty-dumpty back together. But it is getting done!

Almost everything I own is gone. I'd say I have maybe 10% of it left, if that. I have about a third of my books and videos. Most of our clothing and bedding survived, but only because I got it to a laundromat - took about $50 to get it all cleaned/sanitized(brief plug – Pine-Sol works wonders on smelly clothing) and that's after my mom did about 5 loads at her place. A few other odds and ends are salvageable. Most of my photos, art supplies and various other belongings that I was storing on behalf of my children are gone, though. It's just mind-boggling how much damage can be done by just a few feet of water.

I'm not angry or even sad anymore. Oh, sure, I cried my eyes out Monday night and Tuesday morning as I heard from my sister, who also lives in Vernonia but higher up where the flood didn't reach, as well as watching news reports. I work in Beaverton and couldn't get home when the roads became blocked by all the high water. It was very frustrating to know that my household was in danger and I couldn't do anything about it. My sister and her family rescued my teen son and three dogs, then went back to put some of the more valuable items up high.

In the end, it's just 'stuff'. The lives in jeopardy were my biggest concern.

We have found three of my five cats and the other two have been sighted but not caught yet. I have a snake who fortunately was in a tank on top of a tall table and has survived unharmed. My pet mice took the worst hit - a little over half were drowned as the water floated and then capsized most of their plastic cages. Two large glass tanks' worth survived, though - one tank floated and when the water receded, it placed them at a tilt but otherwise alive and unharmed. One other tank has a loose lid, so those dozen or so swam to safety. One of my nephews had fun re-capturing them. I need to buy some live traps, though, because one or two have not been apprehended yet and at least one of them that we spotted but couldn’t catch is pregnant. Last thing I need is to end up paying an exterminator. Repairing and replacing the damage is bad enough already.

I thought I had flood coverage with my homeowner's insurance, but after the claims adjustor looked over my policy he informed me that I'm not covered after all. I'm stuck trying to get repairs and replacement furniture, etc, paid for out of my own pocket. Thank God I have a brother who does construction work and parents who have a bit of financial leeway to help me out with a portion of materials and other labor.

I also have wonderful family and friends I can count on - my workmates put together a collection Tuesday to help me with preliminary expenses like food, gas and other immediate needs. Half of that fund went for food and cleaning supplies while the rest paid for the laundromat. I've also had many people offer me furniture and other supplies. And lest I forget to mention it, there are volunteers from as far away as Idaho that have either come in person to lend a hand or sent supplies of food, cleaning supplies, toiletries and other basic needs to help the entire town.

After the tears, it's time to get practical. On top of that, I just feel truly blessed. The house can be repaired and will probably be in better shape than when I first bought it. Things can be replaced. My son and most of my pets are alive and well. My neighbors are also recovering. We're tough up here in the mountains. I may only have lived here for a year and a half so far, but I'm definitely a 'native'. This is home and I'll be damned before I let anyone or anything take it from me.

Take care, everyone!

PS: If anyone can donate their time and effort, monetary aid, furniture or other items, it will all be gratefully accepted.

Vernonia is still without most landline phone service, but if you come to town, you can check in at the City Hall - the building is on your right as soon as you come into the start of town coming up Hwy 47. They'll take your information and/or donations and point you in whatever direction your help is needed most.

For those too far away, you can contact any of our local news stations and ask for information on where you can send donations.

Thank you!