Family moves back home one year after floods

Family moves back home one year after floods

MORE THAN A YEAR SINCE THEDEVASTATING FLOODING ALONGTHE ARKANSAS RIVER IN GREENCOUNTRY.

MANY FAMILIES -FORCED FROM THEIR HOMES.STILL FINDING THEIR WAYBACK.

2 WORKS FOR YOU'SKATIE KELEHER SHARES THESTORY OF A FORT GIBSONCOUPLE WORKING TO PUTEVERYTHING BACK TOGETHER.IT'S BEEN A LONG 15 MONTHSFOR DORIAN AND CARLASTEEBER."We literally left with aWalmart bag with one, Ithink I had one t-shirt andone pair of shoes." THEIRHOUSE SITS ALONG THE MANARDBAYOU IN FORT GIBSON."This is the water's normallevel.

But during those Mayrains, it slowly rose for aweek and a half.""Before cresting at 11 feet,filling nearly this entiregarage." THE IS WHAT THENEIGHBORHOOD LOOKED LIKEDURING THE FLOOD.

AND THEREST OF THE HOUSE - WASN'TMUCH BETTER."The water was right here.Just about that level." THEHOUSE - FULL OF MUD ANDMOLD.

ALL OF THEIRPOSSESSIONS - PILED UPOUTSIDE THEIR HOME -DESTROYED."I mean everything is justeverything.

Every picture,every document, every,everything of your memoriesand so forth." THE STEEBER'SBEGAN TO SORT THROUGH THEWRECKAGE - LITTLE BY LITTLE.NOW - FOR THE FIRST TIME IN15 MONTHS - THEY'RE BACK INTHEIR HOUSE.

THEIR KITCHENPANTRY IS NEXT TO THEFIREPLACE.

THEY HAVE NOCABINETS.

BARELY ANYFURNITURE.

AND ARE ONLY ABLETO USE ONE BEDROOM AND ONEBATHROOM."We bought a little-usedpedestal sink.

It's the onlysink in the house.

Carla hasto wash her dishes in thislittle sink right now." THESTEEBER'S DIDN'T HAVE FLOODINSURANCE.

AND THEY LOSTTHEIR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE -10 DAYS AFTER THE FLOODING.SO - THEY'RE DOING MOST OFTHE WORK ON THE HOUSETHEMSELVES.

DORIAN SAYS ITWILL BE AT LEAST A YEARBEFORE IT WILL BE DONE.

THECONSTRUCTION - TAKING ITSTOLL ON THEIR FINANCES."We'll get a little moneyand go buy a door orsomething.

You know, likethat, and it's exciting."EVEN THROUGH ALL THE DAMAGEAND REMODELING - THESTEEBER'S REMAIN POSITIVE.GRATEFUL FOR THE PEOPLE WHOHAVE REACHED OUT TO HELPTHEM PUT THEIR LIVES BACKTOGETHER.

NEVER LOSING HOPE."It was a terrible loss forus.

We lost everything wehad pretty much ever workedfor.

But in the overallscope of things, we didn'tlose anything at all."SEEING THE LIGHT IN THEDARKEST OF TIMES.

IN FORTGIBSON, KATIE KELEHER, 2WORKS FOR YOU.