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Family of Deployed National Guardsman Fear Losing Home After Flooding

PORT CARBON, Pa. — A community in Schuylkill County is rallying around the family of a deployed soldier who are afraid they could lose their home due to f...

PORT CARBON, Pa. -- A community in Schuylkill County is rallying around the family of a deployed soldier who are afraid they could lose their home due to flood damage.

National Guardsman Christopher Wright is stationed overseas while his wife and five children are trying to handle the loss in Port Carbon.

Fans propped up against openings cut into to the crawl space under the home of Amanda Wright aren't doing much to dry it out after Mill Creek flooded it last week in Port Carbon.

While no water got onto her first floor, it filled the subfloor below it, damaging the insulation lining the walls.

“That has gotten completely saturated, and we have mold beginning. All of our insulation is down,” said Amanda. “So at this point, everything in our whole house would have to be gutted and ripped up in order to treat what we have underneath.”

Amanda believes the place she's called home for more than a decade is a loss.

This blow to Amanda and her five young children comes while her husband Christopher, a National Guardsman who is also a state trooper, is deployed in Kuwait and not expected to be home until January.

“He is pretty sick over it. Right now, we're working to try to get him home, but we're not sure whether or not that's going to be possible,” said Amanda.

Now, the community is rallying for the family, as her husband remains overseas.

Amanda says her sister-in-law has started a GoFundMe page for the family, and she's stunned with how much has already been raised.

“I think we're over $20,000 now. The last time I looked, I haven't looked much today,” said Amanda.

Knowing the stress their mother is under, her kids remain upbeat.

“I'm pretty sad, but I'm toughing it through, and I'm working to help with where we're moving,” said son Caden.

“I mean, it is sad, and we do have to move out, but I try to stay strong,” said daughter Madison.

Until a new home can be found, Amanda and her children are staying with her parents who also live in Port Carbon.

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