“I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. It’s just so incredible,” Elizabeth Tsimbidaros said, fighting back tears.
A Southbury resident described watching the storm hit his neighborhood last week.
“Eventually the water came in like a river and flooded the basement up to the ceiling,” Tsimbidaros said.
And she says it feels like she’s living a nightmare.
“Forty years of my memories and my life are now in the trash can,” she said.
But neighbours have offered to help, one of whom has offered her his home for the time being, which she says has made the situation a little more bearable.
Local residents in Oxford, one of the hardest hit towns, are trying to do the same for flood victims like her.
“In good times, Quarry Walk is a community place, and even more so in bad times,” property manager Cathy Ekstrom said.
Ekstrom, whose Quarry Walk is a residential and retail complex developed by Haynes Development, said he wanted to do something to help homeowners and business owners affected by the flooding.
On Saturday, she hosted an event called the Quarry Walk Rebuild Expo, which brought together dozens of businesses from around the state to offer resources, education and advice for those in need.
“Anything from new flooring to pressure washers to generators and propane tanks,” Ekstrom said.
Bethel-based excavation company Datin Bros. Inc. was also there, and had just helped a Southbury customer who had lost their driveway in the storm.
“They couldn’t get in, they couldn’t get out. We were here Monday morning trying to get them back on their feet,” Cynthia Datin said.
This week has been focused on rebuilding and helping people get back on their feet.
“We’re doing small acts of kindness towards big things, and although it’s just a small drop in the ocean, we hope it makes people’s lives better,” Ekstrom said.
