FORT GIBSON, Okla. — Shelly Burroughs went through the door by boat this weekend. Now with flood waters down, she's working to make her house a home again.
Burroughs is an insurance agent. But living on a 500-year FEMA floodplain, she doesn't have coverage herself.
"My house has been here for 50 years. It's never flooded before, so who would have ever thought? Yeah I insure crops, I write flood insurance.... but never thought we would need it," Burroughs said.
The homeowner left Wednesday night when the last exit into town was flooding. Her family down the street wasn't ready to leave.
"The hardest thing I've ever done is left my mom and stepdad here when I knew the water was rising. The next day when the septics started filling up and the power was off they did evacuate. The fire department came and rescued them and the neighbors across the street," Burrough said.
Others on the block are dealing with flood damage at home, as well as their businesses in town. The owner at Fort Strength and Fitness tells 2 Works for You they're now in recovery with the help of their community.
"When we say go, they go. I'm going to get emotional but... it's a blessing to see everybody come together and work together and we've had a ton of help. There's no way we could have got it done without them," Sarah Rose said.
That neighborhood spirit is helping those who lost everything.
"I kept telling my kids "this isn't Houston, this isn't New Orleans, our stuff isn't going to be floating!" Well no, it sank to the bottom. It wasn't floating," Burroughs said.
The homeowner said Donkey Lane will rebuild, and find a new normal in the months ahead.
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