The second day shooting the powerful flooding in the Southeast Missouri area proved to be eye-opening. Literally just a two-minute drive from my home stands 1207 North Main Street – currently surrounded on all sides by four feet of water and climbing hourly. A mountain of sandbags and barriers are all that protects the four-year home of Bill and Laura Sandquist. Floodwaters have engulfed the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau in which they live, with the majority of the water rising Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, according to Bill Sandquist. As for help, the family obtained 15 sandbags per person from the fire department, significantly less than they need. “15 bags? Hey, I need 1500 bags,” said Sandquist. Most of the help has come from Red Star District neighbors, family and church members. “These are the times that really bring the community together,” said Sandquist. Sandquist’s son, John Gamage, who has recently returned from Nebraska, has been helping the family stack sandbags since the weekend. “It came up so slowly, so there was a lot of time to prepare. I know that if I can take a boat down the street, it’s pretty bad,” said Gamage. Despite such a hard reality, the family is in a positive spirit, having fun boating around the neighborhood and fishing from their home. Said Gamage, “You’ve got to see the positive, else everyone’s all stressed and that’s no good.” Sandquist chimes in, “I’m happy – at least I don’t have to mow the lawn.”
~ Chris Mackler
chris@macklermedia.com
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