Residents throughout Manville who had to leave their homes began returning to the remains today as flood waters receded. As I walked around this morning I saw debris scattered wherever the water had left it, including upturned dumpsters and port-a-potties, among many other items scattered about. Still, the roads were slowly being cleared and the streets were reopening bit by bit throughout the town.
My father and I spent about six hours working on the basement, taking on the two to four inches that had accumulated across the entire floor. We were able to pump out the water and toss out the huge pile of rubbish that resulted from the water exposure.
It will be intertested, in the coming days, to find out more about the full extent of the damages to many of the hours in th neighborhood. Even as I write this the Fire Department is going house to house, pumping out water wherever necessary. And the piles of debris that once were people’s possessions are now piling up on curbs throughout the town.
And, of course, it is always somewhat strange and disconcerting to have to clear a police checkpoint every time you want to return to your house. Better than the alternatives, I suppose, but the feeling is still unusual, to say the least.