April 5, 2008 - Norfork, AR Floods

This morning we met with the fire chief at the firehouse at 4:45 a.m. There were no incoming phone calls from the 911 Coordinator or the Army Corp, so by 9:00 a.m. we made a few phone calls and confirmed that the high alert threat was over. The threat of potential flood waters hitting the community for a second time was over. This was a huge relief considering that this small community was severely damaged just two weeks earlier.

At this point many of the citizens were visiting the firehouse, curiously intrigued by this great big black grapple truck and hovercraft in front of the firehouse – an odd sight to see in this small rural town. Once the citizens of Norfork heard that we were here to help remove all the furniture, sheetrock, and various debris from their houses, they were so happy. We got to work immediately and within two days we were able to clean up all 80 homes. Even I was surprised at how fast we were able to clean up these neighborhoods. Baxter County sent out 14 local dump trucks that Tim was able to load. One after the other, Tim loaded each truck only taking a few minutes each.

It didn’t take long to grow close to this community. So many people came out and talked with us and the local heroes—their firemen. I was so moved by the fire department in Norfork. It was clearly evident by their actions how much they cared about their citizens. They had already worked tirelessly for weeks after the first flood, removing damaged household goods and sheetrock, and piling it by the roadside. They had also pumped 97,000 gallons of water through the houses, washing the mud out by hand.

Disaster Recovery Solutions’ First Response Team then came to do a job that needed special equipment that this county lacked. Debris had begun to smell so bad through the neighborhoods it was becoming a health hazard and many wells began to test positive for e coli.

Exhausted by the enormity of the work we collectively completed, we all went out for a big steak dinner Saturday night. To express his sincere gratitude, one of the homeowners whose houses we cleaned up gave $1,000 dollars for the first responders to eat out. As Tim and I stood in the parking lot that night, and it was time to say goodbye to the fire chief and his team of heroes, we began to realize how quickly we’d grown to be part of this family. I never thought hugs would be in order with this group, but they clearly were. I never imagined that a bond of brotherhood could develop in such a short period of time and that we could develop such a close bond with new friends. But then again, not much surprises me anymore.

I’m glad we were able to help Norfork AR. I’m hopeful that we will all meet again someday. I’m thankful for our new friends.