Volunteers Aid In Northport Trailer Park Flood Cleanup Effort

NORTHPORT, AL — Volunteers in red and yellow shirts darted from one mangled mobile home to another on Saturday as more than 200 people gathered at Willowbrook Trailer Park to aid in cleanup efforts in the wake of devastating flooding a week ago.

The effort was organized by Church of the Highlands, along with the Red Cross and Mormon Helping Hands from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The group had their work cut out for them Saturday, with volunteers helping residents retrieve what they could from their homes or digging out the thick layer of sand and mud now covering much of the trailer park after the flood waters receded.

PHOTOS: Flood Causes Extensive Damage In Northport Trailer Park

"The main thing is we’re not coming in to save the day, we’re coming in to help them with what they choose to get rid of," said Misty Moon, executive director of the Red Cross in Tuscaloosa.

She then said over 100 people were impacted by the flooding and 28 are currently staying at the shelter at Northport Baptist Church. However, many stayed behind to protect their belongings, which in part prompted the coordinated cleanup day.

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While the large group of volunteers was no doubt up to the task of cleaning up the damage, the order is a tall one. Throughout the park, entire porches were ripped from mobile homes and debris was still widely scattered Saturday morning. Some trailers are a total loss after sustaining major damage, as their frames sit leaned and bent.

District 2 Councilman Woodrow Washington II — a retired firefighter — told Patch that he received calls and went out on water rescues when the flooding began at Willowbrook.

"It was just crazy," he said, mentioning the numerous emergency calls received by the city during the flooding event. "I was getting calls and the whole time the city was upside down."

ALSO READ: Northport Declares Emergency In Wake Of Destruction By Claudette

The City of Northport on Friday released a formal statement on the situation at Willowbrook, saying the city will allow the temporary occupancy of the homes located within the FEMA floodway and flood fringe within the mobile home park.

"Owners and tenants will be given notice of this allowance for temporary occupancy in order to become compliant with existing regulations," the statement said. "The City of Northport will actively seek local, state, and federal assistance for tenant relocation and property acquisition for flood hazard mitigation."

What's more, the demographics of the park have also provided another obstacle for those in the aid effort. Moon said a large portion of those impacted do not speak English as a first language, making communication difficult. Separately, she explained many residents may be fearful of asking officials for help due to their status as an undocumented immigrants.

"We do not care if you’re legal," Moon stressed. "We will help you regardless. We want to make sure we get that message out. We have tons of translators here who have been extremely helpful. Most speak Spanish and a lot of them speak Indian, so it's been really helpful."

As residents sift through the damage and pick up the pieces of their lives, Moon said more help is on the way from High Socks for Hope — a nonprofit started by former Crimson Tide pitcher David Robertson that specializes in disaster aid.

"High Socks for Hope is going to completely furnish everyone with new furniture, so we are encouraging everyone to get rid of stuff," she said.

Moon went on to say those with flood damage or needs can call the Red Cross at (205) 523-5448, which is a number set aside for this specific disaster.

"We can do intake and we want to make sure they are housed, they have food and necessities, then we work with other organizations in the community to provide other assistance for them," she said.

As Patch previously reported, free showers and laundry service is also available at Northport Baptist Church for those impacted by flooding from Tropical Storm Claudette.

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