'Mind-blowing': Mud Lake resident goes home for first time since flood
Joy Williams surveys damage that includes dead chickens, stench of sewage and water-ravaged floorboards
Residents of Mud Lake are making their way back into the community today — and emotions are running high as the stark reality of what's left of home is absorbed.
"This is just mind-blowing," said Joy Williams on Tuesday, while returning to her property for the first time in almost a week.
Williams evacuated the community last Wednesday after waking up with water coming into her house. She and her five dogs were transported by helicopter to Goose Bay airport. She was given a room with her dogs at the Happy Valley-Goose Bay SPCA.
Joy Williams found her dog leashes in chaos of her flooded out home in Mud Lake, she forgot them when she evacuated with her 5 dogs <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbcnl?src=hash">#cbcnl</a> <a href="https://t.co/72fbu3cJL1">pic.twitter.com/72fbu3cJL1</a>
—@JacobBarkerCBCHer front deck has been destroyed, the back yard remains flooded, her house smells of sewage and the floorboards are coming apart.
"Given the fact that all the water that was in the house was saturated with septic and mercury, I will not be comfortable living in this structure," Williams said.
"I feel it needs to be torn down ... I will probably rebuild smaller."
Williams said it will be difficult and expensive to get materials brought in by boat this summer, so she won't be able to bring anything in until the winter, which means it will be next spring before she can likely move back in to a new home.
Nothing had been spared in the water's wake — including her chicken coop where, to her dismay, Williams found all her hens had died in the flood as she feared.
"I think they went that night," Williams said. "Cold, deep water — it would have been quick."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
