Volunteers from Blair County are among those helping victims of last week’s flash flood in Clearfield.
We were at one house where they worked today, and talked to a resident who’s expecting their help soon.
Based on reports to American Red Cross workers, nearly 200 people total in Clearfield have been affected by flooding problems, Red Cross Western PA marketing director Kevin Brown said.
We visited a few of them today.
The water and mud barely rose onto the first floor, enough to make Janet “Kay” Bloom’s house into a big mess.
It wiped out her plans for a yard sale last Saturday and floated loose objects into the neighborhood.
“There were bicycles and toys floating up the road, doors in my driveway, tires,” says Bloom.
Now, she’s preparing for volunteers to cut out the bottom of the walls, like a nearby house that also had water get to the first floor.
“It was about 3 inches, but we have to go 12-18 inches to be sure we got it all,” says Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer Douglas Pilot of Duncansville.
Pilot says they have about 40 requests to repair things, but most aren’t as severe as this house.
“We’re doing a full tear-out here. We had to go 24 inches high on the dry wall, and take it out, and take the insulation out, and we have to clean all that up. Then we’re gonna spray the compound to kill the mold. You can actually see the mold starting in places,” says Pilot.
“With some friends, we were digging the floor up. He said get the carpet up, get the floors out before it molds, but it’s too late,” says Bloom of her mold concerns.
One neighbor had his house ready for new buyers when the flood hit, also messing up the first floor.
Meantime, Bloom isn’t sure what to do after the volunteers make it to her house and then complete their work.
“They just tear the walls and floors out. My problem is I won’t have a furnace. I don’t know what they’re gonna do with my electric. I’m sure they’re gonna shut that off,” says Bloom.
Any other help doesn’t seem likely.
“Everybody I talked to has been turned down, not even my medical for being taken by ambulance,” says Bloom.
For Francis Yankevich, a fix-up isn’t in the cards. He’s been told his trailer will have to go.
“A shed over here was pointing up right against the end of the trailer and then it finally paralleled itself,” says Yankevich. “I didn’t want to get electrocuted, so I turned the electric off and then I called 9-1-1.”
A former classmate is trying to help him find a new place.
“For some reason, I’m taking this well. Maybe it’s because of the people that have responded, my friends and church and everything,” says Yankevich.
The relief group is expecting more volunteers from out of state and plans to keep working until the job is done. Their number for those seeking help is 570-419-0734.
The Red Cross will be at the Clearfield Borough building on Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm, and their number is 814-371-2750 ext. 1.