Furniture, books ruined, but couple thankful
Mookie, a search and rescue dog from Virginia, cools off with some Red Cross Gatorade. She and a group of dogs and handlers were searching around a flooded Arkansas campground Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Suzanne Horsley/American Red Cross)
We shared the sad news Tuesday of the Foreman Church of Christ in Arkansas mourning the flooding deaths of Leslie Jez and her 3-year-old son, Kaden.
Longtime Christian Chronicle subscriber Sharon Paxton e-mailed us to let us know how she and her husband, Bill, fared in the flash flood that swept through the Albert Pike Recreation Area, killing 20 people:
The water rose 23.3 feet above flood level from the Little Missouri River, which is about 80 yards from our cabin. We moved to AP last summer and have been holding worship services there on Sunday mornings for campers and cabin owners during camping season.
My husband, Bill, has been preaching for 33 years, the last 12 years in Springtown, Texas. We now attend the Glenwood Church of Christ. The church here has been a tremendous help to us, as has been the church in Springtown. I was at work at National Park Medical Center in Hot Springs during the flood, but my husband was home and awake watching the water rise quickly.
A family, the Hastings, from Texarkana were in their RV across the road from our cabin. Their RV was overtaken with water, and they could not get their door open. It floated into a tree, turned and hit our cabin, knocking out the stairs. Our cabin is about 8 feet up on posts. When it hit, they were able to get the door to their RV open some, and Mr. Hastings handed his granddaughter wife, and dog to Bill for safety. The three of them waited the flood out in our cabin.
Water came in the windows and buckled the walls out, bringing about 3 feet of water and mud in the cabin. All the furniture and most of Bill’s books are ruined, but he and the Hastings survived.
Our thanks to Sharon Paxton for sharing her family’s experience.
-
Feedback
In Jesus
Donald & Tami Davis