Donation protected
On Saturday, August 13th my sister, her husband, and their kids lost everything to the flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. But their story, and the story of their house, starts a few years prior.
Keith (KJ) and Lisa were married in April 2014 and joyfully began their life together, along with their five kids. After getting married, the seven of them settled in together in their 1-story home in Baton Rouge. Over the next two years, KJ and Lisa worked tirelessly to make their house a home. They did countless updates and renovations, almost entirely on their own, transforming their home to accommodate the needs of their blended family. Unfortunately, all of that, along with their worldly possessions, was washed away on August 13th.
Living on an acre of land with a peaceful creek at the back of the property was perfect for a family with four sons and one equally adventurous daughter. The kids spent countless hours playing by the creek and, with the creek miles away from its source river, KJ and Lisa had little fear of flooding. At least, until last weekend.
As Baton Rouge was drenched in historic rainfall, KJ and Lisa dutifully watched the water level of their peaceful creek. Around 7:00pm on Saturday (August 13th) they noticed the water in the creek had suddenly started flowing backwards (away from the source river). By 7:15pm the water had overrun the creek and was spilling into their backyard; at 7:30pm the water had surrounded their house. They threw what they could in their Jeep, which wasn’t much. By 8:15pm, when Lisa made her last trip to the car, she was forced to carry the dog as she waded through knee-high water. In less than 90 minutes, the peaceful creek at the back of their property had become a life-threatening force.
They spent the next 36-hours with friends and seeking refuge in a neighborhood church; all the while comforting their children and keeping an eye on news coverage of the rising water. The river, miles away from their peaceful creek, finally crested on Monday. By which time aerial news footage confirmed their worst fears, their house was flooded to the roof.
When they were finally allowed access to their home KJ & Lisa were greeted with sheer devastation. The house had been completely flooded by over 6 feet of water and there was nothing left to salvage – everything from the carpet and drywall to their daughter’s American Girl doll and sons’ Hot Wheel collection had been ruined.
Despite the magnitude of their loss, KJ and Lisa have not succumbed to the grief. Despite being faced with the complete loss of their house, KJ and Lisa have not stopped a moment to wallow or commiserate. There’s no time. The carpet must be pulled up and the drywall must come down. Despite facing everyone’s worst nightmare, KJ and Lisa have not let the uncertainty of their future or the financial burden of rebuilding their house, their entire life – they’re family’s entire life – slow them down. There’s no time. They have to rebuild.
My hope is that with this page, and your kind donations, we can help relieve some of that financial burden. While they tirelessly work to rebuild, perhaps we can help rebuild their spirits by giving what we can.
All donations received will go directly to helping them rebuild their home (flooring, drywall, insulation, etc.) and replace appliances (water heater, oven, furnace, etc.).
Keith (KJ) and Lisa were married in April 2014 and joyfully began their life together, along with their five kids. After getting married, the seven of them settled in together in their 1-story home in Baton Rouge. Over the next two years, KJ and Lisa worked tirelessly to make their house a home. They did countless updates and renovations, almost entirely on their own, transforming their home to accommodate the needs of their blended family. Unfortunately, all of that, along with their worldly possessions, was washed away on August 13th.
Living on an acre of land with a peaceful creek at the back of the property was perfect for a family with four sons and one equally adventurous daughter. The kids spent countless hours playing by the creek and, with the creek miles away from its source river, KJ and Lisa had little fear of flooding. At least, until last weekend.
As Baton Rouge was drenched in historic rainfall, KJ and Lisa dutifully watched the water level of their peaceful creek. Around 7:00pm on Saturday (August 13th) they noticed the water in the creek had suddenly started flowing backwards (away from the source river). By 7:15pm the water had overrun the creek and was spilling into their backyard; at 7:30pm the water had surrounded their house. They threw what they could in their Jeep, which wasn’t much. By 8:15pm, when Lisa made her last trip to the car, she was forced to carry the dog as she waded through knee-high water. In less than 90 minutes, the peaceful creek at the back of their property had become a life-threatening force.
They spent the next 36-hours with friends and seeking refuge in a neighborhood church; all the while comforting their children and keeping an eye on news coverage of the rising water. The river, miles away from their peaceful creek, finally crested on Monday. By which time aerial news footage confirmed their worst fears, their house was flooded to the roof.
When they were finally allowed access to their home KJ & Lisa were greeted with sheer devastation. The house had been completely flooded by over 6 feet of water and there was nothing left to salvage – everything from the carpet and drywall to their daughter’s American Girl doll and sons’ Hot Wheel collection had been ruined.
Despite the magnitude of their loss, KJ and Lisa have not succumbed to the grief. Despite being faced with the complete loss of their house, KJ and Lisa have not stopped a moment to wallow or commiserate. There’s no time. The carpet must be pulled up and the drywall must come down. Despite facing everyone’s worst nightmare, KJ and Lisa have not let the uncertainty of their future or the financial burden of rebuilding their house, their entire life – they’re family’s entire life – slow them down. There’s no time. They have to rebuild.
My hope is that with this page, and your kind donations, we can help relieve some of that financial burden. While they tirelessly work to rebuild, perhaps we can help rebuild their spirits by giving what we can.
All donations received will go directly to helping them rebuild their home (flooring, drywall, insulation, etc.) and replace appliances (water heater, oven, furnace, etc.).
Organizer and beneficiary
Kimberly Hewelt
Organizer
Baton Rouge, LA
Lisa LeClercq
Beneficiary