Story and captions by: Jay Bonafede, American Red Cross
Photos by: Stefanie Arcangelo, American Red Cross
Margie West says she’s lived through floods before, but in her 47 years in the Deweyville, Texas area, she’s never seen anything like the recent Southeast Texas floods.
“I came home Thursday night, it was just frightening. The water was rising so fast, over roads,” West says. “We packed up six major items, that was it. It was very frightening; I didn’t know water could rise up that high!”
The nearby Sabine River left more than five feet of water in West’s home. West and her husband have been staying at her sister’s house while beginning the rebuilding process. The West’s entire home has been gutted, with all of their furniture, appliances, walls and more piled up on the curb to be taken away.
“It’s stressful, seeing all my possessions discarded like they’re nothing,” West says. “Sometimes, I get a little testy. One day, I finally had to leave. It was too emotional.”
Despite her struggles, West said the visit from Red Cross workers and the hugs they gave her brightened her day.
“I want people to realize, if they’ve never been through this, imagine losing everything you’ve worked for. Offer them a helping hand, a kind word.”
To help people like Margie after disasters such as the Southeast Texas floods, visit redcross.org.
Texas Gulf Coast American Red Cross 