As floodwaters continue to recede in Horry County, more flood victims are returning to their homes to begin the cleanup.
Many people in the Aberdeen Country Club neighborhood in Longs have spent the last few days clearing their home of debris and damaged belongings and preparing to rebuild. Flood victims there have been out of their homes for weeks and expect the repair process to take anywhere between six months to a year.
“I walked in and I was just devastated. I just could not believe. The house was full of worms. It was wet. I had carpeting that was soaked. The mold was creeping up the walls,” said Pat Michalski.
She’s lived in her home in the Aberdeen community for 24 years. Her home received several feet of water during the flooding. On Saturday, restoration crews began tearing out the walls and floors of her home.
“That’s a brand new shower that they had to tear apart we just put that in a year ago,” she pointed to.
And they dumped all of her furniture and appliances on her front lawn, all of which was destroyed by the water.
“I have never gone through anything like this. Ever. Right now it’s mind boggling. My mind is just going a million miles a minute,” she said.
The last two months have been a whirlwind for Michalski. Her husband died just about a month before Hurricane Florence.
“Ever since then it’s just been one thing after another. I haven’t had time to grieve his death. I mean, I just have not had the time to do it,” she said.
Though she’s learning to let go of all she lost in the flood there’s one thing she’ll miss the most.
“The bedroom set. My husband picked it out and he just fell in love with that bedroom set when he saw it,” said Michalski.
Worried about what the coming months will look like, she’s taking it one day at a time.
“I’m afraid to look ahead. I’m just hoping I can afford to put it back together,” she said.
