People pull together to survive the flood
In the wake of devastating flooding, many Mower County communities are at a crossroads.
People of Austin, Adams, LeRoy, Blooming Prairie and other towns came together last week to help one another. Volunteers jumped in to sandbag, pump water, salvage furniture and move people to higher ground.
Good Samaritans are still scraping up wet carpet and pulling out ruined drywall in homes and businesses.
This outpouring of aid and compassion is a testament to the quality of the people of Mower County.
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Unfortunately, recovery from this disaster is shaping up to be a marathon rather than a sprint.
Long after buildings dry out and life returns to a semblance of normalcy, the financial damage from the flood will still be causing problems.
Businesses are struggling to reopen, workers are facing weeks or months without regular paychecks and homeowners are facing huge repair costs.
Help recovering from the flood will require much more than elbow grease, sweat and drying fans.
It is going to take waves of money and a lot of patience. State and federal financial aid will help, but that will not cover it all.
Helping neighbors sandbag before the flood and cleanup afterwards was the right thing to do.
Now it is time for landlords and creditors to be patient as families, individuals and businesses struggle back toward financial stability.
People pulling together helped Austin and other communities survive the flood. Now more unity will be needed to make it through the aftermath.
