Residents Allowed Back into Hardest Hit Neighborhoods

Some residents of the hardest hit flooded areas of La Grange, Country Way Village and The Oaks mobile home parks, started re-entering their neighborhood in stages Thursday morning. Colorado Landing residents were allowed back Friday. Residents checked-in at the porch of the KC Hall and were given gloves and breathing masks.

The reason for the delay in allowing people to get back to what was left of their homes officials said was because so many of the structures are hazardous to enter. Law enforcement and fire department personnel had to be on standby at many residences to make sure no people hurt themselves as they got back into their flooded homes. 

“I broke through floors multiple times yesterday as I was checking the homes,” said one officer. “We haven’t had any injuries and we want to make sure we don’t have any.” 

No fatalities or serious injuries related to the flooding have occurred in La Grange.

One family shared a story of a cat that survived the storm safely. Left behind in a mobile home the Friday before the flood (before waters were predicted to get very high) the cat survived even after flood waters climbed to within about a foot of the roof of the mobile home.

“When we opened the door there the cat was, a little shaken up but okay,” said Roland Zoch, who was helping his in-laws clean up. 

Federal Emergency Management officials have begun arriving  in La Grange aiding flood victims after the federal government officially declared Fayette County a disaster area Wednesday. FEMA representatives were arranged to be set up at the Rec. Center in La Grange on Pearl St. all week to assist flood-affected families this week. Some insurance pay-outs may be complicated because FEMA will be working with two owners – the people who owned the mobile homes and the owners of the trailer parks themselves.

A meeting was scheduled for Monday, Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Casino Hall to answer questions from residents of the affected mobile home parks.