Diana Roy's Story: Surviving the Flood of 2008
Written by Diana Roy, United Way of Central Indiana Area South Director As I near my 17th year work anniversary with United Way of Central Indiana, I reflect back on a day that completely changed my life in a matter of 20 minutes! It was June 7, 2008, and I had no real plans for that Saturday morning, just to take it easy, sleep in a little and run some errands. I had mowed my yard and cleaned my house from top to bottom on Friday evening, so I had the whole weekend to just lounge around. Upon awakening, I noticed it had been raining harder than I had seen it rain in quite some time. While sipping my first cup of coffee, I could see that my backyard was standing in water. Not just standing in water -- submerged in nearly four feet of water. I had lived there for 10 years, and that was a first! Looking out my living room window I could see a group of my neighbors congregated at the house directly across the street from mine. Wonder what’s going on? They’re standing out in the rain and looking up and down Southview Drive. Peeking out the front door, I saw some neighbors to the right of me, running back and forth, in and out of their homes. Before I went to get my second cup of coffee, I thought I had better get out of my pajamas to see what all the fuss was about. I threw on a t-shirt, sweatpants, sneakers, opened the door and walked out on my front sidewalk. My neighbor saw me and yelled across the street, “It’s going to flood and I’m getting my family out!” Now, my neighbor was the most trusted, reliable, and honest family man in my neighborhood. I was trying to comprehend what he had just said. “It’s going to flood and I’m getting my family out!” By the time I could focus again, he was loading up his wife and the family dog and pulling out of his driveway that was now covered in water. His two teenage sons pulled out behind them in their big 4-wheel drive truck. One of them called out to me, “We’ll be back for you as soon as we can!” 
Ok, so now it was very real to me -- I was going to be in a flood. I could feel my legs moving as I ran back to the house, but it was all so surreal. I gathered up my cat and dog and headed to my jeep; the water was already almost halfway up to the wheels. I ran back once more to get my keys and purse. As I started to back out, another neighbor was waving his arms and telling me not to go, because the water was now up to the top of the wheels. He said, “You won’t make it down the street without drowning out the engine!” I got out and waded to the street to see if anyone could come and rescue me. I started to panic, thinking my dog was going to drown. As I looked to the north, I saw the water start to literally roll down the street, carrying debris and limbs. Just as I was starting to cry, I heard, “Come on Diana, let’s go!” It was my two teenage neighbors coming back to rescue me! Wading in thigh-high water, they carried my cat and dog from the jeep to their big 4-wheel drive truck. My neighbors took me to a local church, which had been quickly converted into a shelter as the flood took hold of my community. Once there, still soaking wet, I was hit with shocking news: my animals were not allowed inside the shelter. So I tied my dog up out front and sat my cat down beside him in the carrier. My first lesson learned -- disaster plans need to include the entire family, pets included. The next day after the storm, I was allowed to return to my home to assess the damage. My family had come down to drive me over. As we slowly walked down the mud-covered sidewalk, I could see the clean-up had already begun. One lady came running up to me and said, “Oh, thank goodness United Way is here!” How did she know I worked for United Way? I didn’t know her. After a minute, I realized that the t-shirt I had grabbed the day before, which I still had on, was my LIVE UNITED shirt. Ironically, this time it was me who needed the help provided by our network of agencies. 
As I looked around what was once my home, I had to come to terms with the fact that everything was gone. My clothes were destroyed, my kitchen appliances and tools were deemed toxic, my jeep wasn't even salvageable. FEMA came to assess my house, it was heartbreaking to hear them say it was a complete loss and that I had to gut my home. I received immediate help from the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. They provided me with food, water and vouchers for basic needs items. In the coming days and week, Goodwill became my best friend as I began to replace clothing and shoes. My work family at United Way banded together, hosting a donation drive that helped me put a down payment on a used car. Some even donated their PTO to me, which I was incredibly grateful for because gutting my home took two weeks. I was amazed at how my community came together to provide for those like me who had gone through such a tragedy. WellSpring Center offered some empty rooms for shelter for the elderly, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts helped to clean up the highways and the neighborhoods. Our YMCA director stepped up to be part of the Morgan County Long Term Recovery committee, providing assistance with assessments, construction needs and volunteer management. I recovered from the June 2008 flood. My pets and I relocated to another house that I can call home. But some of my neighbors were not as lucky as me; many didn't have the resources to rebuild their lives here and were forced to move elsewhere. Through this life-changing experience, I became even more passionate about the mission of United Way of Central Indiana and helping those in my community, because I had been helped. I donate to United Way because I know the impact that my dollars can have right here in Morgan County and throughout Central Indiana. I don’t know if any of you will ever be involved in a flood or any kind of natural disaster, and I hope that you never are. But, if you are, know that your contribution to United Way will help our volunteers and agency services throughout the Central Indiana region continue to be ready to help you through it. To donate or volunteer, call Diana Roy, Area South Director, United Way of Central Indiana, at 317-584-3674
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*United Way of Central Indiana assistance provided to Morgan County: United Way of Central Indiana presented $300,000 to the Morgan County Board of Commissioners to go toward ongoing recovery from the 2008 flood. The grant paid for lingering costs on final street and bridge repairs in Martinsville, Paragon and the county. The funds were from a $45 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to the Indiana Association of United Ways in 2008. United Way of Central Indiana proposed funding for projects ranging from helping individuals rebuild homes to reconstructing or repairing public facilities. Martinsville received the largest share of the grant with $161,500 for flood damage repairs that were not funded by any other source. The county received $113,500 for bridge repairs that still were unfunded, and Paragon received $25,000. Representatives from United Way of Central Indiana, along with the organization’s Morgan County Area Director Diana Roy, presented the checks to local officials. The $300,000 brings the total that Morgan County has used toward flood recovery efforts from the Lilly Endowment grant to $1.7 million. Earlier grants addressed immediate-assistance needs and support groups that organized and carried out recovery. The hardest-hit counties were invited to submit proposals for additional projects.