A special place
The rain came fast and furious last Sunday night in the Connellsville area. Shortly before 8 p.m., the National Weather Service warned residents that strong thunderstorms were moving into the area and by 9:12 p.m., four inches of rain had already fallen, causing widespread flooding.
People scrambled for safety, trying desperately to avoid the raging waters. Some said it looked like there was a river rolling through the area, smashing everything in its path.
One couple found themselves trapped in their home by the rising water. Fearing for their lives, they were finally able to open their front door, and the water gushed into their front yard. Many people escaped by breaking windows in their homes and climbing their way to safety. A woman and her child were trapped inside a vehicle in Dutch Bottom Hollow. Rescuers formed a human chain and pulled them to safety.
Luckily there were no deaths and few injuries, but some people lost everything they owned. Numerous homes were knocked off their foundations and others were left uninhabitable. Roads were blocked, and bridges were weakened. Cars were strewn about everywhere. Schools and churches were damaged. The hardest hit areas were Connell Avenue, the Dutch Hollow area and Mountz Creek Park in Connellsville and Breakneck Road in Bullskin Township. Parts of Connellsville Township were also ravaged by the flood.
Some said it looked like a tornado or hurricane had ripped through the area. Longtime area residents said it was the worst flooding they had ever seen in their lives.
But through it all, help was everywhere. City, county and state officials worked tirelessly together day and night to do what they could for victims of the flood. Gov. Tom Wolf even took time from his busy schedule to see the problems first-hand. The Salvation Army and the Red Cross were on the scene to provide emergency assistance. Numerous churches and civic groups came out in full force to try and alleviate the suffering. Businesses and contractors donated their services. Volunteer firefighters took vacation days from work to pump out flooded basements and help clean up the remaining debris.
But the real unsung heroes were the people of the community, who pitched in and did what they could to help the flood victims. There were all kinds of stories about people helping in all sorts of ways. Some people donated their time. Others gave money to purchase cleaning supplies along with clothes, nonperishable food and toiletries.
While the flood victims couldn’t believe the rotten luck that had befallen them, they also couldn’t believe the support and backing they were getting from their fellow residents. To a person, they all talked about how the community had stepped up big time to lend them a helping hand. It seemed as if the worst of times had brought out the best in local residents.
But that’s really nothing new. While Fayette County is one of the poorest counties in the state, the people here have always reached out to help others in need. It might have something to do with the fact that we’re a small county, and a lot of people know each other. In fact, many have lived here their entire lives. It might also have something to with the fact that a lot of people here have known of tough times and will do anything to try and help those going through similar troubles.
All too often people look at the surface here and only see all the problems. But they don’t look beyond that to see all the goodness in the people here. Unlike many other places in the world where people only care about themselves, people here do care about each other, and it was on full display this past week, reminding everyone that this is a special place.