Four days before Christmas, several Monroe County homes were flooded by a combination of snow melt and heavy rains that left behind destruction and mud. Since that event, those affected by rising waters have been flooded with support from friends, neighbors and recovery teams.
MoCOAD was formed in 2011 by United Way and the other partners that had helped over 100 families recover from the 2008 floods. MoCOAD is an on-the-ready network of representatives from local government, businesses, and nonprofit agencies. Through communication, education, and resource coordination, MoCOAD enhances the community’s ability to mitigate, prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from large-scale disasters.
Two United Way member agencies, the Monroe County Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, have been providing essential aid to the Ellettsville community since the time the flooding struck. Currently, these organizations and other MoCOAD members are working with about 16 families in Ellettsville, Stinesville, and Bloomington neighborhoods who suffered flood damage. The most common needs so far are for assistance with security deposits and other relocation needs for renters, mold control for homeowners, and replacement of uninsured household items for people whose possessions were damaged by the flood waters.
Anyone needing help who has not yet contacted a county agency is encouraged to call the Red Cross at (812) 332-7292 to register for assistance. Help from MoCOAD members may be available for cleanup, case management of long term needs, and mold mitigation, which will become a significant issue in flooded homes.
If you wish to help recent flood victims, the Salvation Army in Bloomington is accepting non-cash donations of furniture, appliances, household items and clothing United Way has created a Flood Recovery Fund for those who wish to give monetary gifts. These gifts can be mailed to United Way of Monroe County at 431 S. College Ave., Bloomington, Ind. 47403, with a notation that the gift is for the Flood Recovery Fund.
For further information, contact Beth Gazley, MoCOAD’s communications coordinator, at (812) 855-1464 or visit www.monroecountycoad.org.
