Karen Wood

On Wednesday, August 12, a once in a hundred years flash flood hit Cambridge City in the heart of Indiana, forcing my best friend, Kaela, and her husband Rick to grab their two dogs and leave. They only had enough time to put their cats upstairs and get out. As water rushed down US 40, they waded up the street, carrying their small dog while Sage, a Malinois-mix, dog-paddled next to them. The scene was surreal and heartbreaking. The high water line reached 5 feet inside their home. When the waters receded, their front door was wide open. The wood was so swollen, the door wouldn’t close. The refrigerator was on its side, and everything on the first floor and in the basement was covered in gas, oil, sewage and debris left behind by the flood waters. Kaela and Rick have now started the months-long process of cleaning and restoring their house, which is why I’ve set up this GoFundMe. Everything on the first floor, basement, and garage was lost. All of Kaela and Rick’s major appliances, including their furnace, hot water heater, refrigerator, stove, washing machine, and dryer, as well as their TV, computer, safe and all their downstairs furnishings and flooring have to be replaced. The front room was a playroom for their four grandchildren and was packed with toys, books, and dress up clothes. Their flood insurance covers the house structure. They will have replace everything else to make their house an home again. It is unclear if insurance will cover all the costs related to new flooring, walls, and potential electrical work. Rick and Kaela are Army veterans, loving parents and grandparents and active members of their community. It is not in their nature to ask for help. They are generally the ones offering to help. Just the fact that they’ve given me their blessing to set up this fundraiser tells me how much they must need it. Kaela and I have known each other since we were babies. Her aunt and then her mom babysat me starting at six-months old, so we grew up together. Kaela is as much my sister as friend, and it breaks my heart to see her and Rick lose so much, so quickly. They’ve worked hard all their lives to build a comfortable home where their children, Erika and Drew, and their grandchildren can feel safe and loved. I’m hoping that together, little by little, we can help give some of that back to them. I wish I could be onsite helping, but I now live in Washington, so I’m doing what I can from here. My heart goes out to my hometown and all who suffered losses during this historic flooding. Watching everyone come together to support one another is a testament to how we were raised is this small community. Please donate what you can to help Kaela and Rick rebuild. All donations will go directly to them, and any amount collected above what they need will be donated to aid their neighbors as they too rebuild.