Connellsville Flood Victims' Lives Starting To Come Back Together
CONNELLSVILLE (KDKA) -- It's been a tough year for about four dozen families in Connellsville, many of whom have lost their homes.
But now at Christmastime, they say their lives are starting to come back together.
The rising flood sent four feet of water through Arnold and Janet Gasbarro's living room, rendering their home uninhabitable.
Since then, the couple and their two kids have had to get by living in a tiny trailer, but this Christmas, they're nonetheless grateful to have survived.
"In the past four months, it was a little rough, but we came out ahead, and we're going to work it out," Arnold Gasbarro said.
"For everything that we've been through, it just makes you strong and we gotta survive, so we're thankful for everything this year," Janet Gasbarro said.
The Gabarros have just received an insurance settlement that will allow them to purchase a new home, and about half of the 42 families that live in the low-lying neighborhood of Dutch Bottom have agreed to relocate with assistance of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
Those houses will be torn down, but some folks, like Eugene Bailey, are planning to rebuild theirs. Bailey hopes repairs will be completed, and he can move out of his trailer by spring.
"If you give up, you're finished," he said. "I'm just glad to be alive here for Christmas and hanging on and doing the best I can."
Rick Shaffer has already started rebuilding, saying he's thankful for the greater community, which responded with donations and support.
"Just volunteering their time. Every single day," he said.
Giving folks here the will to go on.
"It wasn't easy to get this far," Shaffer said. "We did it by staying positive. We didn't let it bother us at all. We just kept going."
If anything, the folks down in Dutch Bottom have shown a great resiliency in spirit and have weathered the hardships this Christmas with a deep sense of gratitude.
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