Fundraiser aids soldier’s family dealing with flood aftermath

Aug. 22--PORT CARBON -- A member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard is overseas while his family is dealing with the potential loss of their home due to the flooding last week.

Christopher Wright is a chief warrant officer with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard stationed at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Wright, also a Pennsylvania state trooper, was deployed in January. He is due to return January 2019. His wife, Amanda, and their five children, Madison, Caden, Isabella, Alaina and Gabrielle, and the family dog, Hershey, are left to deal with the aftermath of the flooding.

"Our entire house was completely surrounded," Amanda Wright said of 235 Jackson St., where they have lived for 10 1/2 years.

The family didn't have any flooding inside the first floor but the area under the house, where the insulation is, was waterlogged. The family tried to use fans to dry it out without success.

"It already has mold. It didn't take long," Geary Wright, Chris' father, said.

Because of the height limitations between the bottom of the concrete slab and the floor joists, the floor inside will likely have to be ripped up.

They are staying with family members. Amanda keeps in contact with Chris through Facebook Messenger.

"He was concerned obviously for the children," Amanda Wright said of her husband.

They did not have flood insurance.

"We were not required to carry it because we are not in a flood plain. We thought we were pretty safe," Amanda Wright said. "We never got any water in this property" during the flood of 2006.

The heavy rain Aug. 13 woke up some members of the family. Amanda's father, Kent Cooper, who has a contracting business, Chester G. Cooper Contracting, next door, woke up Amanda and told her about the rising waters.

When she went outside, the water was pooling in the street and yard. They moved some items from a garage, one of several on the property, to higher shelving. By the time they moved on to another garage, the water had reached the top of the steps to her home. She gathered the children and evacuated.

Her sister-in-law, Leah Wright, started a GoFundMe page, www.gofundme.com/wright-family-flood-recovery. To date, the effort has raised $13,203.

"We are very blessed, very humbled we have such an outpouring of support," Amanda Wright said.

Elsewhere in the borough, more than 12,000 meals have been given to those in need as flood recovery continues, Hiram Quintana, owner of Lion's Den Catering, Tamaqua, said Tuesday.

Quintana established the hot food stand outside the Port Carbon Borough Hall. Lunch is served from 1 to 2 p.m. and dinner from 6 to 7 p.m. on Washington Street near the Goodwill Fire Company No. 1. Quintana said he will be in the borough as long as he's needed and business and others continue to donate.

Joan Shaud, 69, of Saint Clair, was thankful for the lunch Tuesday and hugged Quintana.

"Thank you so much. You are a blessing," she told him.

Shaud and her husband, Charlie, 73, live on South Third Street and had flood insurance but only for the house. About 2 feet of water entered their basement and destroyed appliances. Irreplaceable keepsakes such as pictures and memories of her children's childhood are also gone.

Susan McCartney, and Vicky Rymarkiewicz, volunteers with Team Orwigsburg, a faith-based mission group, helped to store some books from the Port Carbon Library in another location. The library sustained flood damage and is not yet open.

Volunteers from Team Orwigsburg were also removing debris Sunday. Other members were helping in Pine Grove and Tremont.

Greg Schuettler, second lieutenant with the Goodwill Fire Company No. 1, said the majority of the flood debris has been cleaned up in the borough.

Charles "Chuck" Joy, borough council vice president, said homeowners having their residences cleaned out by contractors are responsible for those costs. Regular garbage will be collected Friday, he said.

Port Carbon Police Chief Joseph Ferraro said the borough and the police department are thankful for the assistance and compassion shown by everyone who has helped.

"We are moving forward," Ferraro said.

Other areas of the county are still recovering as well. Coal Creek Commerce Center along Route 61 in Saint Clair remains closed. Calls to Brian Rich, president of Reading Anthracite, and Terence Ryan, property manager for R&R Property Managers Inc., the property management firm for the shopping center, were not returned.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

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