HELP CAME FROM MANY

At the flood's crest, Water Street was aptly named, as this street sign at the intersection of Water and Second illustrated.

Woody and Vergie Sadler glanced at the calendar on their kitchen wall Friday, Aug. 5, and felt thankful to be in a position to celebrate an important anniversary.

"We've been in this home 45 years to the day," said Mrs. Sadler. "A year ago we didn't even know what shape this place would be in. Thanks to the help of family, friends and people we didn't even know, we saved it from the flood."

The Sadlers, who live at 1407 N. Water Street in the Red Star district, look across the street at what is now a vacant lot and realize there were others not so fortunate. "The woman who lived across from us lost her house to the flood," said Sadler, offering a somber expression. "They had to demolish it because there was so much damage."

Sadler pointed to pieces of string wrapped around the telephone pole in front of their home.

"The first time the river crested we had sand bags at this level," he said, pointing to the first piece of string about a foot off of the ground. "The second time it got this high," he said, indicating string that was nearly 4 feet high. "If it weren't for the levee breaking in Perryville, we would have been another one of those families that lost their home. Somehow the break in Perryville took the water from here out and we were able to keep water from getting into our home," he said.

The Sadlers had to rely on family and friends to work around the clock to keep the water from seeping into their home. "We worked two shifts," said Dorothy Sadler, who is married to Woody Sadler's brother Don. "The women worked the day shift and the men took over at night."

When word spread that the river was getting dangerously close to Sadler's front porch, Woody remained steadfast in his belief that his home would be spared. "I just didn't think it would get as high as it did," he said. "I remember in 1973 when it got real high across the street but never reached our home. I was thinking the same thing would happen last summer."

When it became apparent that his prediction would be wrong, Sadler alerted his family and friends that they would have to begin stacking sandbags around the house.

"It was kind of funny how we just got started with one truck full of sandbags, and then before we knew it, there were five trucks, some of them people we didn't even know, willing to help out," said Sadler.

They started out using one pump in the front yard and another in the back. "We bought three more and had another one given to us," said Mrs. Sadler. "It's amazing how a community and even a state and country come together when disaster comes calling."

Sadler received a letter from a family in Cincinnati who helped them save their home. "They told us they helped flood victims in Georgia this year," he said. "Through all of this I have come to believe it was God's way of waking us all up."

Denny Marr, a youth minister for the Red Star Baptist Church, said the Flood of 1993 brought the entire community a little closer. "You believe that people are good, but you don't know just how good until something like this happens," said Marr.

"There were kids, families and people I had never seen before pitching in day and night to help out. If I were to applaud anybody it would be the people who came just because they cared and stayed until they knew their help was no longer needed."

When the levee broke at Perryville the Sadlers would soon learn that the water was retreating. "It looked like somebody pulled the plug on the flood," said Sadler with a smile. "Like the water draining from a bath tub."

The Ben LeGrand family was not as fortunate as the Sadlers. "That was a really sad thing to see," said Marr. "Those people worked so hard all day and night to save their home. But when the water crested, the sandbags finally gave way. They seemed very proud. They always had enough people to help them out, and never asked for anything except sand. I guess they're the kind of people who believe you pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and do for yourself. I'm just glad to see that they've restored their home and are back in business."

LeGrand, whose sons operate LeGrand's Transmission, declined to talk about his experience. "Nothing against you," he said. "I just don't want my name splashed across the paper. It's something I would rather keep to myself."

When Marr learned that LeGrand wasn't interested in an interview, he smiled. "I can see that. He's a very strong and proud man and prefers to have his privacy. I can respect that. It's part of this community that got a lot closer last summer and has stayed that way ever since."

Sadler isn't likely to forget the last gesture of goodwill bestowed on his household. "When the water went down there was this awful stench," he said. "I realized I would have to put dirt over the yard and plant new grass. I called Nip Kelley for the dirt and he ended up just donating it to us. That was a nice thing to do."