United Way volunteers helping Henderson County flood cleanup
HENDERSON COUNTY, Ky. (WEHT) – The view in eastern Henderson County is much different than that of earlier in April when much of Spottsville, Reed and Beals were under water. 'To see the devastation that water can cause is something that I never expected to need to see or see in the next little bit,' says Kelsi Johnston with the United Way of Henderson County.
Johnston and the United Way have helped organize dozens of volunteers to help cleanup efforts. As of April 24, volunteers had clocked more than 140 hours of work and Johnston says more volunteers are needed.
'Just because the water is not in the road does not mean that the need is not still there,' says Johnston. 'It just means that you can get to the need a little bit quicker.'
One volunteer came to Spottsville from Washington, Indiana to help residents like Mindy Veach. Her home was spared from flood damage, but her yard is littered with debris.
Neighboring County lends a hand to flood victims
'Well no, not just debris, there's a whole boat dock,' says Veach, 'I've got a freezer and refrigerator and I got a john boat. I guess if nobody claims it, we'll go fishing in the john boat.'
Now on the receiving end of help, Veach says she wants to pay it forward. 'I don't know a whole lot, but I know how to groom dogs,' says Veach. 'So, if they can't afford to take their dog to the groomer, I would like to say that I would do it for free.'
The county is also stepping in. This week, the Henderson County Fiscal Court approved setting aside $1 million from the county's rainy day fund to cover the costs of recovery efforts in the event FEMA funds are not approved.
'We're confident we'll be eventually reimbursed for that through the FEMA programs, but we still haven't got a declaration from the president yet declaring this area and this situation an emergency,' explains Henderson County Judge Executive Brad Schneider. 'We can't wait on him, really, anymore. We need to be proactive.'
Schneider says this will be a months-long recovery process. Residents needing assistance can contact the United Way at 270-826-2107, or the Crisis Cleanup Hotline at 270-887-4657. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact the United Way. Volunteer operations will move to Reed, Kentucky on April 26, with a new command post located at St. Augustine Church.
The United Way is also in urgent need of dehumidifiers, box fans, mold remediation sprays, bleach and general cleaning supplies. A relief drive is scheduled for May 2-3 at Walmart in Henderson from 7 AM to 6 PM.
United Way volunteers helping Henderson County flood cleanup
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