Hudson Mobile Home Park Struggles After Helene Flooding

As an on-site manager at Hudson Mobile Home Park for over 7 years, I have seen my fair share of storms. But when Hurricane Helene dumped nearly 15 inches of rain on our 55-acre community last month, the devastating floods that followed were unlike anything I had witnessed before. Read below about “Hudson Mobile Home Park Struggles After Helene Flooding”.

Within hours, water had reached the doorsteps of over half of our 210 mobile homes. Our drainage systems were instantly overwhelmed, transforming roads into raging rivers. Families were forced to evacuate in the middle of the night, escaping with only the clothes on their backs. Power lines came crashing down one by one, leaving residents – many of them elderly or with young children – completely in the dark.

Hudson Mobile Home Park Struggles After Helene Flooding

The Devastation: A Community in Crisis

In the light of day, the true extent of the damage of hudson mobile home was heartbreaking. More than 75 homes had been completely destroyed, with another 60 suffering severe water damage. The park grounds were strewn with debris, our playground reduced to a field of mud. Our once-vibrant community looked like a war zone.

As we enter week 5 of cleanup efforts, the struggles continue. With more than 130 residents displaced, we are still operating at less than half capacity. Our remaining homeowners lack running water and electricity. Critical infrastructure repairs are slow-going and extremely costly. We have already drained our emergency funds, taking out crushing loans just to handle basic operations.

The stress has taken an immense emotional and physical toll on our residents. Ms. Clara, our eldest homeowner at 92 who has never missed a Sunday church service, has fallen into a depression after losing all her possessions. Little Timmy developed an awful cough after playing in the mold-infested ruins of his old bedroom. As manager, the weight of responsibility to rebuild – and seeing my neighbors suffer so profoundly – keeps me up at night.

Struggles and Challenges: The Road to Recovery

While national relief organizations have been spread thin across regions impacted by Helene, our mobile home community seems to have fallen through the cracks when it comes to significant aid or media coverage. However, the resilience and care I have witnessed firsthand in our residents gives me hope.

Neighbors have banded together, taking in displaced families and the elderly. Our maintenance crew has worked around the clock clearing debris and making homes habitable again. Young people have done supply runs for medicine and hot meals. We even held a donated clothing drive and turned one of our clubhouses into a makeshift shelter so people had roofs over their heads.

Community Resilience: A Beacon of Hope

As heartened as I am by the community coming together, we cannot recover from this magnitude of loss on our own. Significant assistance is still desperately needed to rebuild and create long-term resilience:

• Financial Support: With over half our homes severely damaged or destroyed, residents are unable to pay rent, creating an unsustainable loss of our primary revenue source. Monetary aid will help us repair infrastructure, clear debris, restore utilities and offset crippling loans so we can avoid bankruptcy.
• Construction Volunteers: Qualified crews are needed to help us assess home damage, mold remediation and rebuilding efforts so displaced residents can return as soon as possible. Materials donations will also help us replace ruined flooring, drywall, appliances and furniture.
• Professional Services: We need civil engineers to help us redesign drainage and sewage systems to withstand future flooding. Licensed contractors can assist with permitting, ensuring rebuilt homes meet updated resilience codes. Mental health professionals can provide counseling to help distraught residents recover emotionally.
• Awareness: Local news coverage and social media attention will help bring our plight to the attention of organizations and individuals who can provide more resources. Spotlights on residents’ personal stories will remind the public we are more than statistics.
• Policy Change: Our local government must invest more in stormwater infrastructure and preparedness measures for mobile home communities, which house some of our most vulnerable populations yet are often overlooked. We ask officials to meet with us directly to develop actionable solutions.

The Need for Assistance: A Call to Action

While the road to recovery remains long, I have to believe Hudson will come back stronger with the right assistance. This place has been my home for over a decade. I’ve celebrated life’s milestones here, forged wonderful friendships, and helped raise children who run around the park like one big extended family.

We still have a long way to go, but I know Hudson’s spirit cannot be washed away so easily. Our community needs you now more than ever. Whether you can give a few dollars, volunteer time, provide supplies or simply spread the word – any act of generosity will help rebuild lives. If we stick together, I know Hudson’s best days are still ahead. I hope you like reading “Hudson Mobile Home Park Struggles After Helene Flooding”.