A fifth Red Cross shelter in Jerseyville opened Thursday afternoon, in response to the greater St. Louis area floods.
Dozens of people have utilized the emergency shelter resources in the last week, and the American Red Cross expects the number of displaced residents will increase over the weekend.
Gemi Wiedemann and her 13-year-old daughter Lacie are two people who are calling a shelter home.
"I woke up like any normal day, and she said, 'We gotta go. Today's the day. It's in our backyard. You have to go,'" said Lacie Wiedemann.
Shortly after their frantic evacuation, the family arrived at the Kennedy Recreation Center, now an official Red Cross Shelter.
"I brought some clothes, some blankets - and the dogs," said Lacie.
Water had slowly crept from the creek through their backyard, flooding their house. When they checked on their property yesterday, their six-foot backyard fence was completely underwater. The basement had about four feet of water.
"It's overwhelming not to have that comfort knowing where you can go and sleep at night," said Sharon Watson of American Red Cross. "Our hope in doing this is that."
A bed, blanket, toiletries, and food are given to anyone who needs it. Health and counseling services are also available. Some locations, like the South County shelter, have an outdoor kennel for pets.
Despite losing their house, for who knows how long, the Wiedemann family said they aren't necessarily homeless.
"It's your family, that's what it is. We're here," said Gemi Wiedemann.
"Home is where the family is," said Lacie.
Financial donations can be made by texting REDCROSS to 90999, calling 1-800-REDCROSS, or visiting www.RedCross.org.
Other flood-related stories:
- Flooding didn’t keep these fans from cheering on the Blues
- Revenue in Grafton is down 80% due to flooding, mayor says
- ‘They need somebody’: Restaurant offers free food to Lincoln County flood victims
- Supplies being brought to Portage Des Sioux by boat
- Sandbagging goes underground in Monroe County as residents try to plug sand boils
- Flooding closes roads, adds commute time for frustrated drivers