Tropical Storm Imelda, which hit the southeast coast of Texas on Sept. 19, continues to be a source of mystery to local residents in the hardest hit area from Winnie to Orange, Texas. To have as much as 40 inches of rain fall in a 24-hour period is unprecedented, but to also have it fall in such a small area surprised most local residents.
Volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have massed in the area in the days following the storm with approximately 200 10-man teams of workers to further help victims of the floods clean out their homes in preparation for reconstruction work.
Flood waters contain all types of contaminants — like sewer runoff, lawn chemicals and other pollutants. Flood-damaged homes need to have all floor covering and home items damaged from the floods removed and unceremoniously heaped on the curb for city disposal to haul away.