KTUU.com | Alaska's news and information source | Donations for flood-damaged Eagle pour in

Donations for flood-damaged Eagle pour in

by Yvonne LaVoie
Saturday, May 9, 2009

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Donations for people impacted by flooding in Eagle continue to pour in.

Everts Air Cargo out of Fairbanks delivered 10,000 pounds of clothing and other goods Thursday night.

As chunks of ice and flood waters took over the village of Eagle, residents were overcome by the outpouring of support.

"I've heard folks are just emptying out their pantries to send stuff here," seasonal Eagle resident Robert Gecas said.

At the Eagle Community School gym volunteers sorted through donations, hoping to have enough for everyone.

"Maybe 30 folks lost their homes and just about everything in it, so no food, no clothes," Gecas said.

"It's pretty much devastated Eagle and Eagle Village," Slana Waller said. "It hasn't hit a lot of us yet. A lot of the families left, last one heading up to the village, the graveyard, and I can't even get to where my house used to be."

Fairbanks resident Amanda Westphal lived in Eagle for more than a decade and when she drove back to see her hometown she was shocked.

"Our well water is now contaminated that we drink, it's just devastating, heartbreaking," she said.

Now Westphal is working with other volunteers and residents sorting through donations from across the state.

"It means a lot," she said. "It means we have something to eat, clothes to change into. A lot of people just got out with the clothes on their back and have nothing and everything helps."

Although the flooding has slowed residents know there are still rough waters ahead as they face massive ice melts and cleanup efforts.

"It's gonna be a while, and when it does, people around here are going to need help," Waller said. "When we can get to where we used to live, it's really going to hit us."

An account is now open at Wells Fargo for donations called Rebuild Eagle.

Contact Yvonne LaVoie at ylavoie@ktuu.com