Seeing Oakville after the flood

When residents were allowed entry into Oakville, they first had to sign in at a church in Wapello located 12 miles away. Then they had to drive to Toolesboro, a small unincorporated town, to board buses to go into town. They could only carry what could fit on their laps. The normal Welcome sign was filled with debris.

Roads were damaged and undercut by the currents. One house was split in two as the water turned the north wing from its foundation.

The current was strong enough to bend small trees without breaking them.

My parents' house had 4 feet of water outside and 3.5 feet of water inside.

The current wrapped a garden shed around a small pole. It was strong enough to turn a trailer 90 degrees and rip the siding.

A storage building was turned 30 degrees on its side and pushed against the pole building.

Another storage building was turned and rammed into the back of the garage damaging the roof and putting a hole in the garage.

What people found inside the buildings was a shock. My father's shop was trashed and full of mud.

Nothing inside of the house was any better. Items had been placed "high" to keep them out of the water. No one thought the water would reach these heights. Many items had been taken to the second floor while some large appliances had been removed before the flood occurred.

Getting everything out wasn't an option for many. Residents had been given a mandatory evacuation for June 16 at 8p.m. The levee protecting the town broke at 4:30 p.m. on June 14. Many people were helping shore up the levee, others thought they had more time, many didn't have the vehicles to transport much out.