April 28, 2008 - Des Arc, AR Floods

Our first task in Des Arc was to clean up a few neighborhoods of mobile homes along the river. The floodwaters at this point have receded by 60 percent. The roads were open just enough for us to get in with the equipment. Because the flood levels stayed up for so long everything in these homes was extremely heavy, stinky and molded. Many of the citizens could not even get things like couches out of their houses because they were so heavy. We helped in any way we could and found the people to be very thankful. They would say things like, “We have no clue what we would have done if you had not come. Our belongings would have stayed here for months in all these homes.”

We are going to be here for a few days. There are many homes and neighborhoods to help out in. The water came in so far in some areas it’s unbelievable. There is a judge in this small town, and it sounds as if he’s regarded as an unofficial mayor. He owns the nicest restaurant around, which is on a riverboat. He treated the Team and I to dinner, and we had a great time eating and talking with the local government and emergency leaders as well as many people from the community.

April 27, 2008 - Des Arc, AR Floods

Des Arc, AR, is only 4 hours south of Norfork. This city was our first stop with the rescue boat when the floods began four weeks ago. But for some reason the floodwaters at Des Arc did not recede much; the area is low so the water stays stagnant. When the rivers rose a second time, it only brought the water higher. Today, floodwaters finally began to recede.

We arrived very late tonight and were greeted by Sandra Patterson, County Emergency Operator Center Director. She was so thankful we were there to help their community. Small towns have small budgets and not much equipment in the municipality except two trucks and some small road repair equipment.

There were no hotels within 40 miles so Sandra offered us an old hunting cabin to stay in. It turns out it was where she and her husband were staying as well. Tim, Seth, Dave and I crashed in a room full of bunk beds. I’m having a hard time sleeping tonight because there are so many reports of potential tornados. We will finish what we came here to do but I always want to be aware of potential large deadly tornados happening elsewhere.

April 25, 2008 - Norfork, AR Floods

We have decided to head back to Norfork, AR. It’s been only two weeks since we finished cleaning up flood debris from almost 100 homes in Norfork, and now, two short weeks later, those homes flooded again – but this time the flooding was worse than before. Reports indicate the water rose two feet higher, causing even more damage.

Before we left two weeks ago, the First Response Team and Norfork Fire Department went out to dinner. We bonded quickly while working together to help the people in the community, so when Norfork flooded again there was no question in our mind that we should return to help.

It was strange to go back and see many of the same faces and houses again. But this time instead of removing wet rugs, furniture and personal belongings, it was new sheetrock insulation and furniture destroyed by the floods. It was sad to see the progress made in the two previous weeks destroyed. I can’t imagine the disappointment these people must be facing, and I hope us coming back to clean up the same mess again will encourage them to not give up.

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.

April 4, 2008 - Norfork, AR Floods

So here I sit, on this wood floor, in an old ballroom in the hills of Arkansas. The only place for me to spend a few hours and get out of the rain is this community center in a small town called Norfork. This cold room looks just like one in an old black and white movie where a small town would gather on a Friday night for a community dance…just one big room with a wooden floor, two bathrooms and a make shift kitchen. We came to this small city to do something so simple: remove everything from one hundred homes destroyed by the floods two weeks ago. It’s become a routine and simple task for us to remove rugs, furniture, cars, and mud. It would just take a few days with aggressive equipment, where it would take this small city a month with its resources.

But today there was more to do than just clean up debris, which is what we came here to do. We had to work with the local fire department to warn of potential flooding in the community again.

You will often find in disasters that the person in charge is the one who picks up the responsibility. It does not matter if there is a mayor, police chief, sheriff or fire chief, when these storms come in and destroy homes, even the person who is suppose to be in charge gets shocked to see the only place he has ever called home destroyed – as well as his own family and friends killed.

In this case the man in charge was Fire Chief Frankie Baker. From my first impression Frankie is a simple man, humble and reserved, but when the pressure is on, Chief Baker knows how to call the shots. It is easy to see how his volunteers trust him and why they would follow him into a burning home.

Frankie’s task at hand is great. I was introduced to him because he is the one in charge of the cleanup of the flood disaster debris. After touring the community, I sat with him and his crew in the firehouse presenting and explaining the best plan of action for a complete cleanup of debris, lifting the spirits of all as cleanup begins.

As we laid out the strategic plan, 911 Director Tom Fisher, who is second in command to the county judge, walks into the room. The mood changed rapidly as he began to outline new weather-related developments. Just north of the small city are two dams. Norfork Dam is holding back 500 miles of shore, and Bulscholds Dam holds back another 800 miles of shore. Tom explained, “The water is at the floodgates, gentlemen. We are expected to get 4-6 inches of rain in the next two days but if we just get two of those inches the dams will not be able to withstand the pressure, and the floodgates will need to be let open. Norfork will experience flooding worse than what just came through. The Army Corp of Engineers will alert us when two inches of water comes and will only be able to provide our city one hour to evacuate. After that…it will be too late.”

We all agreed the best thing to do was to go to all the communities along the river and inform them of what is expected. Tim, Chief Baker and I jumped in an ambulance and announced like a broken record to one house after the other, “Gather your belongings, jewelry, titles, valuables…get them in your car and evacuate if you want to play it safe. If the rain comes, Norfork could get flooded again and all the homes along the river could be affected.” We also explained that if the Corp opens the floodgates people in their homes along the river would only have one hour to evacuate.

The first few houses went okay. One gentleman who was so old and fragile said, “Can you help me get some of my things to higher ground? I’m too weak to get outside. It’s so cold, and I’m not well.” We helped him with whatever he needed. When the fire chief and I got to the fourth house we were invited into the hallway—the wallpaper straight from the 1970’s—and while standing in the dim light, we warned the occupant of the potential flooding that may happen again. For a split second I wondered what it would be like to have a place I called home for 45 years, and the thought of all I had and had ever held close potentially being destroyed. I could only imagine, and then my mind got caught up again in the job at hand.

The chief explained that many of the roads were washed out and said the only way to warn some of these people was via the river and a loud bull horn. We told Frankie this was his community, his people, and whatever he needed us to do we would do.

All of my equipment is here in Norfork. Fire Chief Baker, and his men and women, are glad we are here to help. If the warning turns into reality we will deploy our hovercraft into the river to warn all the adjacent homes that the final evacuation must take place. Since there will only be one final hour and four small cities exists along the river that need to be warned, traveling upstream toward the dams will be our best and fastest method. Cells phones do not work well here, and there is no guarantee of power lines or landline phones working. The chief says the river will be the fastest route. I hooked the hovercraft to Chief Baker’s four-wheel drive truck. If this event takes place the roads will wash out. Those who do not make it out of their neighborhoods in time will need to be rescued.

One of my dear friends told me a beautiful story a few days ago. He was putting his 3-year-old daughter to sleep and just when she could hardly keep her eyes open she said, “I love you daddy,” and softly drifted to sleep as her beautiful little face rested against his neck. He said, “Tad, words cannot explain how special that moment meant to me. It will stay in my heart for an eternity. And someday, you and your men will save lives so that some dad can experience one of the most special moments in his life just as I did that night…and that one life will make everything you do worth it.”

May we always have strength to persevere in life. To endure the challenges, but even more so, to look forward to those moments when you can say to yourself it’s good to be alive. Someday again soon, the sun will rise on this small town, and the skies will be so blue and beautiful. As for now, I feel we have given this community an opportunity to evacuate but my hope is that the rain holds back and the community does not flood again.

April 3, 2008 - Norfolk, AR Floods

We stayed in Clarendon for about a week until the river situation was stabilized. We had a chance to work closely with the officials in charge, monitor the levees, keep looters away from all the homes that were under water, and help with water pumping when the levees had small seepage.

Reports were coming in from another struggling community about eight hours away. I have not yet decided how many storms I will respond to this year. At some point I am going to have to get back and focus on my for-profit contracting company but for now we are not that far away – and I hear the town has lost up to 100 homes.

I want to do something with my life besides just working, making money, and living the American Dream. Don’t get me wrong…I would love to have a home and a decent car to drive but I want something a little more than that – something money can’t buy. I know there is something more in this life than just working and making money, and I want to find out what that is. For now I’m just going to keep doing what it is I’m doing here. Creating the First Response Team with specialized equipment, technology and staffing. Why? Because it needs to be done. From what I can tell so far we are the only ones doing it and communities in America need this kind of help.

I hope I never lose the passion to live a life worth living, to be a part of something so much greater than myself, to invest in funds that never lose their value…a Wall Street in the clouds if I could be so dreamy.