Flood recovery makes for patriotic discovery

Carvella Wickersham vividly remembers getting a call from her mom saying that each of their houses in Verdel, Nebraska were in danger of flooding. Carvella figured her mom was overreacting, so she took her time getting home — only to find out record flooding was just beginning.

Carvella says, "By the time I got home the water was already over the road... she told me I had ten minutes to get my things."

Verdel had a similar experience to a lot of communities along the Niobrara River. Flood water carried massive ice chunks into buildings and homes, leaving a scene of mass destruction at the residences of Carvella and her mother. As overwhelming as it was, the family knew they needed to take recovery one step at a time.

Carvella explains, "You just start inside the house... we had another crew come in and help me gut it to where the water line was"

Along with volunteers from throughout the region, a group of young men from Texas went to Verdel to help work on the home. As they made more progress on the house, they also made a pretty cool discovery.

"We took down the plaster and we found the American flags - it was unreal to see" says Carvella. 

With new found energy and inspiration, members of the community did a little research to find out where the flags came from.

Carvella said they found out, "The Glicks were one of the founders of Verdel in 1906 and he was the one who supposedly put the flags on the wall."

Using flags and newspaper as extra insulation for your home was not uncommon in the 1900s, but finding these flags and seeing the boards of the house stained with the stars and stripes is a unique and powerful experience. An experience that served as a reminder of how strong America is, and inspired the community to keep moving forward in recovery.

Carvella says, "It's been a rough road for a lot of people... it will get better. After you clean up more it is another step forward."