Griswold Under Water
On Sunday, June 14th, around 10 a.m. the people of Griswold had to be evacuated from their homes because of the high water. Mayor L.C. Boucher and fire chief Jim Wyman were in charge of all the rescues. The rescue and fire departments along with other volunteers helped over 250 people to safety. They were sent to the Griswold Community Building where the Red Cross had set up a station. People were provided with towels and dry clothes from the Lords Closet. Many people had a helping hand during the evacuation.
Most of the people that were at the Griswold Community Building were able to return home Sunday evening, but some were transferred to the Atlantic High School where another Red Cross Station was set up. The people had to leave the Community Building because of a gas threat. Thankfully, there were shelters for the people to go to and have a nice, dry sleep.
Over 60 homes in Griswold were damaged from the flood. Some of the homes were damaged because the water was breaking through their basement windows and also the water was going through the cracks in the walls and floors. Houses with floor drains even had water coming up through the drains. The sewer backed up and went through the floor drains making the problem even worse. Nearly every house in Griswold had some kind of water in the basement. Luckily, only two homes had foundations collapse.
Thanks to the fire and rescue department, along with other volunteers, the town of Griswold was able to recover from this natural disaster. If rescue efforts weren't successful, lives might have been lost.
Local Hero
Wade Amos did a tremendous job in helping out the town of Griswold. Wade helped many people that day and brought them to safe ground. He drove his air boat through Griswold with Lee Wyman and Rick Shadden, because the water was too high. If they drove cars they would probably wreck, and also people would get hurt. Driving was difficult because the current was so strong it made steering hard. One family they helped brought their dog, cat, and ferret in the boat with them. When they helped the people they took them to the Central Church of Christ. The flood did not damage Wade Amos's house or any of his property. His house is located outside of Griswold and the water didn't reach that far. Wade Amos was a helpful hand during the flood.
The residents of Griswold got their fair share of water on June 13th - 14th, 1998.
Flood Photos