23-04-2025
Flood victims receive help from Sioux City Career Academy students
JEFFERSON, S.D. (KCAU) – Almost a year after historic flooding, Siouxland families continue to repair their homes, and one house in South Dakota is receiving help from the Sioux City Career Academy.
Roughly four feet of water was inside the home, but thanks to a group of students, the house is coming together nicely.
Beverly Loof and her husband were some of the many people impacted by the 2024 flood, but thankfully, they were out of town when it happened.
'We weren't able to get back in here ten days later, and when we did get in here, there was no more off-white carpet,' Loof said. 'It was just mud and it was pretty devastating.'
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Due to the high water, the Loofs had to throw out many items.
'Everything looked like a tornado had went through the inside and everything was mixed up and turned upside down,' Loof said. 'And we put a dumpster outside and all my new furniture and everything went in the dumpster.'
Once the house was cleared, the next step was getting the house back to its former glory. With help from the community, repairs slowly took place over the next several months. Then, Renae Hansen with the McCook Lake Izaak Walton League made a call that would expedite everything.
'The Sioux City Career Academy has a lot of kids and it's towards the end of the year,' Hansen said. 'I was hoping by chance that I would be able to utilize some of their skills out here. When I called, they said it was like divine intervention because they've got 60 kids with limited projects to get them through the end of the year.'
For the past couple of weeks, the Loofs' house has been booming with students.
'We've been working here doing drywall,' 11th grader Beau Smallcomb said. 'It's a little difficult, but once you get to know what you're doing and practice, it's pretty easy.'
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While there is still much to do before the house is complete, Beverly Loof says she can't thank these students enough.
'It's been amazing to see these young men and ladies, you know, be able to do this type of work.' she said. 'My husband's not able to do it anymore. And for them to come out here and spend their time and do it the best they can, it's been amazing. We wouldn't be this far without Renae and the academy.'
'It feels good to help people that need it because, you know, they're older, and they shouldn't be having to do it themselves,' Smallcomb said.
A Sioux City Career Academy instructor said they'll be working on the house for about another week.
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