Saltillo neighborhood working to repair flood damage

March 12-- Mar. 12--SALTILLO -- Life isn't back to normal in Willow Creek subdivision, but across the Saltillo neighborhood there are signs of progress.

On Tuesday morning, saws and equipment were humming around the neighborhood that was flooded during heavy rains Feb. 22. Piles of construction debris dotted several lawns.

A team from Saltillo First Baptist was working on a pair of houses Tuesday morning on Willow Creek Road and has plans to help with two others. After pulling out the flooring, cabinets, doors, vanities and drywall damaged by the flood waters, the first house had dried enough to install new drywall and insulation. The other is still too wet for new drywall.

"Our church has a construction ministry," and has worked across the country, said First Baptist youth pastor Brad Marler, who was working Tuesday with Ron Burcham and Maurice Jones. "The Lord gave us an opportunity to do things here at home."

Around the corner on Elm Street, homeowner Alandus Braylock was working with a friend to start putting up new dry wall.

"There's not much (furniture) we were able to salvage," Braylock said. "Thank God we had flood insurance."

Lee County Emergency Management has identified 49 homes and eight apartment units that had flooding damage, said Lee Bowdry, Lee County Emergency Management director. Of those, 35 homes and six apartments had between six inches and two feet of water inside during the flood.

Mississippi Emergency Management and Federal Emergency Management agencies are jointly assessing the flood damage this week, Bowdry said. Public roads and structures damaged in the heavy rains were slated to be assessed Tuesday and private residences and businesses on Wednesday.

So far, Lee County has tallied at least $500,000 in public costs associated with the flooding, such as emergency response and road damage.

"According to our numbers, we have met the threshold for public assistance," Bowdry said, but they are still awaiting an official ruling.

They will have to wait and see if the damage to private residences and businesses qualifies for a federal declaration.

"We're going to hit every resource we have until we get them what they need," Bowdry said.

MEMA has approved a $250,000 grant to help with building materials. The United Way of Northeast Mississippi, Families First, CREATE Foundation and the long term recovery committee are coordinating efforts.

Families First, which has 30 MEMA-certified staff members, is handling the casework to identify needs, said Christi Webb, Families First executive director. The agency delivered bottled water to the Willow Creek area on Saturday.

The United Way will coordinate with volunteers to get the repairs done, said United Way president Melinda Tidwell.

Affected families can contact Bonnie at Families First at (662) 844-0013 for assistance.

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