LTRC needs funding

HIGHLAND LAKES — Karen Baptiste is still in awe of Highland Lakes
residents’ generosity after the devastating June 2007 flood.

Now she’s asking for more.

Baptiste, a caseworker for the Long-Term Recovery Committee, is hoping
to raise enough money to completely rebuild two homes that sustained severe damage during the flood.

“We have $42,000 in the budget, and we still need $85,000 to complete the two rebuilds,” she said. “We’re asking for money donations, materials, professional services. We need everything.”

It’s just another day in the life of the LTRC, which was formed a few days after the June 27, 2008, flood. During that event more than 18 inches of rain fell on the Highland Lakes overnight, causing flood damage to hundreds of homes and businesses.

The LTRC includes representatives from a number of Highland Lakes nonprofit and faith-based groups, and has been working since the flood to help residents affected by the disaster return their lives to normal. The group’s funding comes entirely from local donations and grants.

“Part of what the community needs to be aware of, is even though it’s been a year since the flood hit, we’re still dealing with it,” LTRC Chairwoman Sharon Zimberg said. “Our immediate goal is to get people back to where they were before the flood.”

So far, the LTRC has cleared more than 160 cases, Zimberg said. Many of those cases involved minor repairs or helping residents purchase supplies.

“The majority of the immediate needs were met six to eight months after the flood,” she said. “Now we’re down to the houses. The other cases were minor compared to the rebuilds we have to do, but they were major in the lives of the people that were helped.” 

Many of the families that were helped have in turn aided others, she added.

LTRC case manager Denise Torns said the group has major building projects in store for eight homes that sustained severe damage in the flood, but at least two require special attention.

“Housing inspectors from the cities of Granite Shoals and Marble Falls have recommended that two of these homes be completely torn down and built from the ground up,” Baptiste said. “One is actually being condemned and the client can no longer live in it.”

Both homeowners are facing outbreaks of toxic mold in their homes, in addition to damage left over from the flood and a severe windstorm in March.

“One of our clients, she’s a widow, didn’t realize how bad the damage was until she pulled the wallpaper off her walls and saw all the mold,” Torns said. “By the time she saw the damage, she had missed the deadline to apply for aid from (the Federal Emergency Management Agency). She’s a prime example of what our unmet needs are.”

Because the LTRC is a voluntary organization, Zimberg said nearly all of the donations it receives go to help families in need.

“We’ve got the labor costs all taken care of,” she said. “The Mennonite men will be here in October to do all the construction. We have at least six couples coming out.”

The Mennonites, a faith group out of Seminole, volunteer their construction services at disaster sites around the country, Zimberg said.

With construction beginning in about five weeks, Baptiste said the LTRC has little time to prepare for the four-month job.

“We have to get those houses demolished and get the debris moved off,” she said. “So we need help doing that, too.”

Many local businesses have already assisted the LTRC by providing money, materials and labor for free or at deep discounts, Zimberg said. The group has also received numerous donations and several grants from faith-based programs at the national level.

Even so, she said more help is always needed, especially with some of the largest projects coming at the end.

“We would love to have some carpenters come out, even if it’s just for one day,” Zimberg said.  “Whatever can’t be contributed labor or donation-wise, we have to make up by cash. Fortunately, because of our low overhead, the cost for us is only about 50 cents on the dollar.”

In addition to cash donations, Torns said the group is also asking for help from plumbers, concrete contractors, electricians and general contractors.

“We need everything that’s involved with building a house,” she said.

Many businesses have already assisted the LTRC, including ACE Hardware, Home Depot, Hoover’s Building Supply, Haskell Concrete Construction, Moore Supplies, Childress Septic and Buchanan Septic.

“We’ve been absolutely blessed,” Torns said. 

Even though there’s an end in sight for projects related to the 2007 flood, Zimberg said the LTRC isn’t going anywhere.

“The LTRC deals with getting people back to a normal life,” she said. “Part of that is education and getting people prepared for any disaster, including fires, tornadoes. All of those are disasters.”

The group is already preparing for Community Emergency Response Team training set to begin this fall.

“The CERT training gives people the knowledge they need to assist during disasters,” Zimberg said. “That way, we’ll have a group of people standing by to help out in case of a new disaster.”

And even though the flood is becoming a distant memory, Zimberg said what happened during June 2007 will live on in the memories of the volunteers and residents who helped others after the disaster.

“The way this community responded after the flood was wonderful,” she said. “FEMA now uses Marble Falls as an example during their training to show how disaster recovery is done.”

Anyone interested in donating to the LTRC may send checks to 1016 Broadway, Marble Falls, TX, 78654, or by donating to a special account that’s been set up at First State Bank of Central Texas.

For information on donating services, call (830) 693-0700.