Mark and Carol Martin, Regional Managers for World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS), spent 10 days in Oklahoma visiting disaster-affected communities in several counties. While in Comanche County, they were privileged to meet George and Aretha Bower and hear about their experiences during the massive flooding that damaged homes, businesses, and farms across the southern and central U.S. in May.

Mark and Carol Martin, Regional Managers for World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS), spent 10 days in Oklahoma visiting disaster-affected communities in several counties. While in Comanche County, they were privileged to meet George and Aretha Bower and hear about their experiences during the massive flooding that damaged homes, businesses, and farms across the southern and central U.S. in May. 

Here is the Bower’s life-altering story, as told by Mark and Carol Martin.

George and Aretha are a retired couple in their 70s who live in a home they built over 40 years ago. It is where they raised their family and where they planned to spend the rest of their life together. Their neighborhood is lovely, with many trees and spacious yards, quiet and inviting. But on May 23, 2015, their serene life in Oklahoma changed entirely.

That evening, at 9:30 pm, George and Aretha received a warning that heavy rain was creating flash flood conditions along the waterways north of their home. They called their son and daughter and their spouses to come and help them move things out of the house to safety. However, shortly after the Bower’s adult children arrived, three inches of water began to seep into their home through the back door, and they didn’t have time to save any of their belongings.

The six of them made their way to George’s small Nissan pick-up truck in the driveway, planning to drive to safety. The Bower’s next door neighbors saw them and asked for a ride out of the area, as did two other families with small children whose vehicles got stuck.

 

Now, with 16 people in the truck, George tried to maneuver out of the driveway to get to dry ground. However, the truck foundered in the rising water. Before they knew it, the vehicle was floating in the flood water and at risk of being swept away with the current.

Fortunately, the rushing water pushed the truck against the house, keeping it lodged in place and giving the passengers an opportunity to climb onto the roof of the house for safety.

The Bowers and their passengers all helped each other climb out of the truck and onto the roof of the house. However the Bower’s son-in-law, who was the last person in the truck because he was the tallest and strongest, didn’t make it onto the roof. Expecting to ride out the flood in the pick-up, he said goodbye to his family.

At the last minute, two of the younger men jumped back into the truck as it teetered in the water, helping the man up to the roof. Everyone who sought escape from the flood with the Bowers was finally out of the water and accounted for.

At that point, there was nothing to do but wait and pray. Eventually the water went down, and a rescue crew was able to come in with a front-end loader to carry all 16 people to dry ground.

When the Martins arrived at the Bower’s house a few days after the water receded, volunteers were spraying for mold and mucking- and drying-out the home. Sadly, the house where Bowers built and raised their family is considered a total loss by the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management because the water rose over the first-floor windows.

“George and Aretha intend to rebuild the house after it dries out,” the Martins said. “Whether that can actually happen is far from clear. But they have each other, children who are helping them, good neighbors who will stand with them, and a strong church family that has already done much to ease their suffering.

“Whatever happens, George and Aretha will be survivors of this incredible disaster. It has drastically altered the course of their lives, but they know they have a God who loves them and walks with them through everything.”

How You Can Help

The Bowers are just two people of the thousands in Oklahoma and Texas who are reeling after multiple floods and tornadoes in May brought them into a new reality. Some people will be able to recover and rebuild on their own. Many others, those who are disabled, low income, elderly, or vulnerable for other reasons, will not be able to recover without assistance – these are the people that World Renew DRS helps.

Will you help flood survivors like the Bowers in Oklahoma and Texas? Join World Renew DRS in responding to this overwhelming disaster with your prayers, involvement, and financial support. World Renew DRS is coordinating its response with other volunteer organizations, providing assistance to home owners from clean up through reconstruction that can take months or years to complete.

To financially support families affected by the Texas and Oklahoma floods, and many other storms this spring, learn more…

…and donate today.

World Renew DRS is in the process of organizing clean-up efforts. If you are interested in being contacted to volunteer to help with clean-up in Oklahoma or Texas in the weeks and months ahead, please email [email protected].