ELYSBURG - Looking back on the flood of 2011, Elysburg resident Curtis Mays jokingly compares himself to the little Dutch boy who saved his town from flooding by putting his finger inside the dike to stop the leak.
Mays finds jokes coupled with his faith in God helpful in keeping him from crying over flood damage to his home and property.
"A lot of people said Elysburg didn't get much damage from the flood. That might be true, because a lot of it happened here," Mays said. "I know that God has a reason for everything, so if He's using me to help the town by taking the brunt of the damage, so be it. I just hope I can get it fixed."
Mays, who has Parkinson's Disease, and his housemate, who has suffered multiple strokes, were watching a small creek, which runs by his house at 135 S. Market St., rise as the rain continued to fall Sept. 7.
"We kept looking outside and the creek was high but we still had green grass in the yard, so no worries," Mays said. "We turned on the pump to get the two or three inches of water we had in our basement out."
With the sound of a crash, things changed in an instant, according to Mays.
"There is a shed in the backyard of the vacant home next door, and the front door of it was left open," Mays said. "The water came up over the banks of the creek and got into the shed."
Mays said the water forced the shed to drift into the creek and which subsequently redirected the water onto his property.
"The shed became a dam in the creek and that ran Niagara Falls onto my place. The water rushed in so fast," he said.
Before he knew it, there was four feet of water in the basement, damaging his furnace, washer and dryer and several other items.
"I used to have a trapeze that helped me get out of a hospital bed, that is destroyed. The worst part is that furnace fumes killed two of my African parrots. I lost some expensive fish because we lost power in an aquarium," Mays said.
In the backyard, water marks about a foot high are seen on a car parked near Mays' garage where debris and other items are pushed into a crumpled pile. The back wall of the garage is gone and the roof is partially collapsed.
"We had some tools and reciprocating saws in the garage that were swept away by the water. No idea where they got to," Mays said.
All total, Mays estimates that his home suffered close to $62,000 in damage. He has been in touch with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but cleanup has not started yet.
"With our afflictions, we can't do it. Also, I was told by FEMA that while pictures document the scene, seeing it in person (by a FEMA representative) really makes it hit home."
As he waits for word on his claim, Mays said his faith will carry him through.
"I don't want to speak out for pity, cause I know that God will provide," he said. "I just think that the story needs to be told."
Other parts of Ralpho Township also experienced extensive damage during the Sept. 7 to 9 flooding.