FLOOD!!

As most of you already know a main water line broke under the Manor at 15 minutes till midnight on Tuesday, the 18th. The 6 inch steel pipe under tremendous pressure burst in the vicinity of Cass’s office. Water immediately started seeping up through the floor down hall 1, then started gushing out from Cass’s office. When I walked in about 10 minutes later, there were 2-3 inches of water covering the floors in the library, front offices, and the main entrance area, and it got deeper down Friendship Lane (hall 1). Water mixed with sand down hall 1  creating a sand bar which stretched out of Cass’s office, making it difficult to push residents’ wheelchairs through during the evacuation process. Local Fire and EMS crews arrived soon after and we proceeded to evacuate hall 1 residents to dry ground in the newer West Unit. We also had to evacuate a few hall 4 residents to the West unit. Moundridge Manor staff, board members, and helpers from the community came to assist with evacuations and water removal. We soon realized that we would need to find temporary homes for ALL of our residents because, with water being switched off to the whole building, the fire sprinklers and alarms will not work, and according to fire code it would not be safe for them to stay here. So began the process of calling and finding a place for 75 people to go in the middle of the night. With much help and teamwork we were able to send each one out with their information, medications, and a change of clothes; the last resident left our facility at 6:45 am. Many, many thanks to the area nursing facilities that were willing to take our dear residents, and were not only willing to take them, but sent transporters and transport vehicles to help out. Thank you especially to Shelby Shaw and your team from Pine Village for your help and overwhelming support! Our thanks would not be complete without also mentioning the help and support we received from our local Fire Department and EMS. You were all great!!