Our Family’s Ida Disaster in Manville

Hi,

We are Anne Marie and Alex Barthalis. My sister and brother in law, the Grzeczkowicz’s, who live in Manville New Jersey just had the worst flooding in their home in the last 30 years, since the home’s been in their family. Every 10 years or so they are used to a storm or hurricane that brings in a couple feet of water and that is a normality. This time however, Ida brought 5 feet of water into their home overnight. Our 3 nieces, age s10, 8 and 4, had to be taken out of the house in a boat with only the clothes they had on and whatever they could fit into each of their backpacks. They were saying things like “am I ever going to see my room again” and “why are we leaving daddy behind” and “is my bird going to die”. How to explain to children? Please help with whatever you can so that our family: Renee, David, Olivia, Julia and Sofia Grzeczkowicz can somehow start to rebuild.

Thank you from the Barthalis Family