Willow Begins to Dry Out After Creek Floods

While some homes are on the mend, others property simply washed away

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By Kate McPherson
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Story Created: Sep 24, 2012 at 6:29 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Sep 24, 2012 at 6:31 PM AKDT

WILLOW - As Willow Creek begins to recede residents are sharing stories of their flooding experience.

"I literally had seconds to get out and when the car started to float away I thought, oh crap,” said Chuck VanOrnum.

“You gotta laugh -- I mean, what can you do?"

VanOrnum drove around his neighborhood Monday to assess damage and look for his trailer that someone stole during the flood.

"I was only gone an hour that day, somebody backed up to it and drove it away," said VanOrnum.

A trailer is not the only thing that went missing during the flood; at least three properties have disappeared.

“They had an acre here and it's all been washed into the creek,” said Marsha Hunter, pointing to a section of the Willow Creek where her neighbor’s house used to be.

Willow Creek has carved a new path and Hunter is questioning the future.

"I need to really stop and think now if I have to move, because the next time we have a flood I may not be so lucky,” she said.

Further along the river Dave Swonger is focused on fixing his house.

“Yeah it was a houseboat there for a while,” he said Monday afternoon, as he pointed to the insulation falling out of his wall.

“From the inside of the house you just roll from one side of the house to the other now; doors don't open right,” said Swonger.

But the power has just come back on after cutting out Thursday, so Swonger says there are brighter, and quieter, days ahead.

“Now I don't have to worry about that noisy generator.”

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