This browser does not support the Video element.
Hamilton residents assess damage after flooding
Some families in Skagit County are returning home for the first time after severe flooding from the Skagit River.
HAMILTON, Wash. - Some families in Skagit County are returning home for the first time after severe flooding from the Skagit River.
Residents in Hamilton spent their Wednesday cleaning up the mess, and many of them were in shock at just how bad the high waters were across town.
"I got about six inches of water in the house. So, a lot of sand and dirt on the floors from the water. Got to rip the drywall down to fix the drywall," said Anthony Annese, while cleaning up debris outside his home.
Annese, known around town as "Taco," had some extra hands-on Wednesday to dump everything that got wet inside his house.
"It’s good to have good friends that will help you and all you can do is hope for the best," said Annese.
That’s what friends do around this town—just ask U.S. Marine Corps veteran Bert Kerns. FOX 13 News met Kerns Tuesday at the American Red Cross shelter after he had help escaping the high waters Sunday night.
"Buddy of mine named Taco came over with like five guys and they got my trailer out. And he’s a good guy," said Kerns.
"He put in for this country, you know? We owe him something," said Annese.
RELATED: High waters slowly recede after flooding from Skagit River overwhelms small town of Hamilton
Berns, like some other families, got their first look at the damages on their property Wednesday.
"There’s always someone else that’s worse off. Pray for them," said Kerns.
Several families are still waiting for the waters to recede.
"Our residents are excited and eager to get back home. And that’s, unfortunately, something we cannot do at this time. We still have a fair amount of water in town," said Chief Scott Bates, of the Hamilton Fire Department.
The fire chief said Puget Sound Energy has restored most of the power in town. However, some homes still waited for electricity or repairs to their propane tank.
Carol Lockrem also had water surrounding her property. She moved to Hamilton in June and said this was her first flood as a resident in the town. She and her family splashed through the overflow to save her belongings.
RELATED: Mount Vernon gets help from federal government ahead of major flooding along Skagit River
"And you know what? It’s just stuff. Stuff can be replaced. And at my age, I’ve had all the stuff and apparently I never needed it because I ain’t got it anymore," laughed Lockrem.
Some residents said there were things worth saving and looking for.
"Start cleaning, poke around. Kind of find my stuff around the yard. I do woodwork, so a bunch of my stuff floated over there and some of it floated over there," said Todd Kohnke as he prepared to clean up debris.
As people across town began recovering from the flood, they also said they’re finding what they need in each other.
"No neighborhood is perfect, but we got a lot of people that help out and people that care about each other. And it’s just a big community of love," said Annese.
Stay connected with FOX 13 News on all platforms:
DOWNLOAD: FOX 13 News and Weather Apps
WATCH: FOX 13 News Live
SUBSCRIBE: FOX 13 on YouTube
DAILY BRIEF: Sign Up For Our Newsletter
FOLLOW: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram