FORT GIBSON, Okla. — It’s been more than a year since the devastating flooding in Green Country. Many families forced from their homes are still finding their way back, including Dorian and Carla Steeber from Fort Gibson.
“We literally left with a Walmart bag with one, I think I had one t-shirt and one pair of shoes," Dorian said.
Their house sits along the Manard Bayou in Fort Gibson. During those May 2019 rain, the water slowly rose for a week and a half before cresting at 11 feet, filling up the Steeber's house.
Once the water receded, the house was full of mud and mold. All of their possessions piled up outside their home, destroyed.
“I mean everything is just everything," Dorian said. "Every picture, every document, every, everything of your memories and so forth.”
The Steeber’s began to sort through the wreckage, little by little.
Now, for the first time in 15 months, they’re back in their house. Their kitchen pantry is next to the fireplace, they have no cabinets, barely any furniture and are only able to use one bedroom and one bathroom.
“We went out and bought a little-used pedestal sink," Dorian said. "It’s the only sink in the house. Carla has to wash her dishes in this little sink right now.”
The Steeber’s didn’t have flood insurance and they lost their homeowner's insurance just 10 days after the flooding. So, they’re doing most of the work on the house themselves.
Dorian said it will be at least a year before it will be done. The construction is taking its toll on their finances.
“We’ll get a little money and go buy a door or something," Dorian said. "You know, like that, and it’s exciting.”
Even through all the damage and remodeling, the Steeber’s remain positive. They're grateful for the people who have reached out to help them put their lives back together. Never losing hope.
“It was a terrible loss for us," Dorian said. "We lost everything we had pretty much ever worked for. But in the overall scope of things, we didn’t lose anything at all.”
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