Whatcom Co. community comes together to help in flood damage cleanup
NOOKSACK, Wash. - In Whatcom County, the community is banding together to help each other get through the damage caused by last week’s historic rains and flooding.
Homes in Nooksack and Everson were hit hard by the floodwaters that spread throughout Whatcom County.
Days later, the water is gone, but the destruction remains. For many families, it is not damaged property they are left with, but the remnants of what was their lives.
"It meant a lot for us to get this house and build it the way it is. So, to see it torn apart it hurts a little bit," said Sidney Nilsen.
Nilsen and her boyfriend, Jay Marshall, moved into their home about two years ago. They say it did not feel fully like "home," until a couple weeks ago, after they added some final touches.
Due to floodwaters, now their beloved home is totally unrecognizable.
"We had to build new memories and new things like that, but we’ll get through it," said Nilsen.
It's hard work, both physically and emotionally, but they are not doing it alone.
"I’ve been under seven or eight houses, or inside of houses, ripping out dry wall, ripping out insulation, stuff like that," said Anthony Reese.
Reese and several of his friends spent the day clearing out Nilsen’s and Marshall’s home.
Reese knows what they are going through. He is a trooper with Washington State Patrol. On Monday, he worked the scene of a landslide on I-5 and then returned home to a flooded house.
"It was pretty unnerving just not knowing what I would come home to, and not knowing how to deal with it," he said.
However, Reese was able to deal with it thanks to the support of the community, and he has been paying it forward to people like Nilsen and Marshall.
This feeling of community is something you can find on almost every block in town.
"This has been awesome. There has been so much love shared between people in this adversity that everyone is going through. To come here and get a hot meal and say we can get through this," said Ginny McAlpine.
McAlpine says she can’t crawl around and help with the physical work, but she can offer a space for people to come together after a long day of work and get warm food.
Since the flooding, she has opened the doors of her home as the meeting point for food and drinks. Throughout the day, she hands out snacks to crews working, and at night she provides a space for a community potluck that draws at dozens to warm up and get a good meal.
"The community has brought all of this. All I have done is provide the space," she said.
It's a huge help. The last thing on the mind of these people who are clearing out their lives due to the flood, is food. In fact, some of them can't even cook because their homes are so damaged. This potluck does more than just feed these people, it also is a space where they are able to come together to feel a sense of community and hope.
KEEP READING: Officials to begin assessing damage of Whatcom County flooding on Monday
RELATED: Gov. Inslee will seek federal aid for flood damage in Washington
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