So far this week we’ve taken you into the storm battered villages of Hope Creek and Sittee River where lives were lost and possessions destroyed in Monday’s flash floods. It’s been 5 days since the storm and today our team of Keith Swift and Alex Ellis returned to the deep south for an update on how the recovery effort is going. We start first with Hope Creek where 3 year old Jayden Roches was killed when the flood waters stole him from his father’s clenched jaws. While that was the headline, today we found some residents who are still on their own rough road to recovery.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This afternoon we met Red Cross volunteers on the ground in Hope Creek. Volunteer Marie Sharpe says they’ve been in the village since Monday.
Marie Sharpe, Red Cross Volunteer
“We have been giving out groceries to each and every home. We have visited every home and given out groceries and we have given out clothes, we have given out blankets, we take care of babies, we give out baby food, and we have been looking after people. But right now our people are doing actual assessments house to house and we are going to be filling those needs.”
But some Hope Creek residents say they aren’t getting what they need. Candida and Frank Jimenez says that last night the shelter at the ITVET was closed – leaving them with few options.
Candida Jimenez, Flood Victim – Hope Creek
“We haven’t gotten nothing from this morning because my stove got damaged, everything and we haven’t gotten nothing. When we left IT-VET, they didn’t give us anything and they told us they would pass and drop the food but they haven’t passed yet.”
Frank Jimenez, Flood Victim – Hope Creek
“According to what I heard, they don’t want anyone to stay at IT-VET and I don’t know why because that is the reason why they are transferring
everybody to Pomona.”
Keith Swift,
And why you don’t want to go to Pomona?
Frank Jimenez,
“Pomona is way up there and we live down this side.”
Ivory Woodeye also has issues.
Ivory Woodeye, Flood Victim – Hope Creek
“I lost everything out of my house. I didn’t save anything because all the clothes are wet up and all my TVs went bad, the stove, the washing machine and everything gone bad; radio and stereo everything.”
Keith Swift,
Are you getting help?
Ivory Woodeye,
“Well I’ll tell you something, NEMO came yesterday and they promised they will bring food for three days and they haven’t come back. Then they told me they would bring blanket and mattress and they haven’t come back. They only wrote down my name but they haven’t come back.”
Storm victims in the IT-VETT Center were moved to a shelter in Pomona. In case it wasn’t made clear, residents don’t want to move because of the distance from their homes. And while Marie Sharpe is working in Hope Creek as a Red Cross volunteer, she was also affected. She says she lost acres of pineapple and papaya. The good news is that her factory was untouched.
