A Flood of Silence is an ongoing series of digital stories from those personally affected by the 2011 flood in Bloomsburg, PA. The third vignette being released today is titled, “Just Like That, It Is Gone.”
This scene features Sarah Rudolph and her 12 year old grandson, Clay, in a story that shares the pain of losing everything and an amazing willingness to do things that are well beyond the expected. Mrs. Rudolph told us that her back yard opens to the Fairgrounds. Her neighbors had a hot dog cart on Leonard Street and used it to feed workers during the initial clean up. Her neighbor’s house has been condemned and only a handful of families are back in their houses on her street. At 76 years old, she is completely relying on the kindness of others to help put her life back in order. Her house is on higher ground than most in her neighborhood, and she didn’t evacuate earlier because she felt safe at that elevation. Mrs. Rudolph said that during the flood the families were communicating with each other by yelling out the windows on the second story and passing information down the street like a big game of telephone.
This is a story of great sadness and of intense hope.
God blessyou, Mrs. Rudolph.
God Bless!
Thanks for reminding me to never forget the Bloomsburg people and their beloved town..town where we first lived when we married and town where we first taught. Our local Christian radio announced they are forming a group to come up and help! Yippee. My prayers and tears go out to this Sarah. I cannot imagine what she is going through.
One thing to loose all your priceless Photos, cook books, antique dining room table & chairs and having had screwed up the walls and floors in the house.
But to get back to the cleanup what is left = to part 1 !
God Bless your efforts of staying and hanging on to what is left of yours and what is left of your past, Home is still a SWEET HOME.
Sarah,
We’re so glad that we’ve been able to be a part of you’re life. You are someone that we’ve looked up to when we feel down and out. If we could all be half the woman you’ve been throughout your life, this world would be a much better place. Thank you for being a role model to us. We’ll keep praying for you and remember that we’re just a phone call away.
With christian love,
Brenda and Jean
I know Sarah Rudolph through her daughter, Linda, when we were twirlers in the band together at BHS back in the ’60’s. Mrs. Rudolph has been through much sadness in her life and this is just one more thing this sweet lady does not need. We had flooding problems in our home for the first time, having almost 5 feet in our basement. Thank goodness for flood insurance, and that it wasn’t in our first floor… came half-way up the steps, though. Knowing the problems we’ve been dealing with, just from it being in our ground level, I cannot imagine how hard it is to deal with it, in your main living quarters.
My prayers and my heart go out to Mrs. Rudolph and to all those who are still enduring this horrible event. I can relate to some of what she was talking about…the smell, the constant reminder of living with it, 24/7.
And may God truly bless all those who have been helping all of us. Where would we be without them?! This has at least shown us that Bloomsburg may be a little town…but it has many people with big hearts! KDS