STILLWATER–In Columbia County, residents of one small community found themselves almost cut off by flooding. After getting about five feet of water in their house, this family spent the day cleaning out mud from their basement in Stillwater. This is one of many homes that was flooded as fishing creek came over its banks. Across the street, Lee and Jamie Rankin stared at their backyard in disbelief.
“All we could do was stand here and watch it go,” Jamie Rankin said.
“I just couldn’t get it all out quick enough. I saved the animals, priority. By the time I got back I couldn’t save anything else,” Lee Rankin said.
The Rankins did not get water in their house during the flood of 2011. But this time they got six inches of water. The couple wants the creek dredged, or cleaned out, which the state does not allow for environmental reasons.
“The creek broke there and it’s coming through my yard. So that means tonight if it rains hard my house is going to get hit again,” Lee Rankin said.
There are people trying to help flood victims. Volunteers from Stillwater Christian Church are out and about doing what they can.
“Everybody picked different things. We have one group that’s doing some child care,” Kim Heggenstaller said.
Kim Heggenstaller and her children brought sandwiches, chips and water to people who were cleaning.
“We know what it’s like to be flooded and we just want to help them in any way that we can and show them that we love them. It’s a great area to live in because everybody cares about each other,” Heggenstaller said.
