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Mary & Ernest Webb
Riverwood, St. George, UT
Interview with Ernie & Mary
We had been watching the water in the back yard go up and go down for
several days with the rain all through the weekend. We got a call from
Dad about a4:30 am Monday morning. It was dark. I woke up our
neighbors, the Grays and then Gary and I left to go and get some sandbags.
We had to the Bloomington re-use facility to get them. I also
called Al Baker at 6:30 am to let him know that the Imlays needed help and
the water was doming up to his basement windows. We though it was
under control on the Gray's home with the sandbags at that time.
We knew it was very serious on Tuesday when we saw some concrete stairs give
way and knew it was very serious. It was like slicing bread – a slice at a
time would fall off into the river. It was gone.
When did it start coming up to your
home?
We were out on the back porch about 10:00 – 11:00 am
We heard it would peak about 2:30 pm, but we started to see our six foot
boulders falling in. We had about a 1000 gallon water tank that was 15 feet
above the river bed float away.
We had hundreds of huge boulders…one to two tons and we saw them go in one
by one. We had a couple of them that were over two tons.
They
rolled off the back and we had another pile of boulders back a little
further that was going to be our waterfall. All of that went, and it took
out our other water tank that was a 2500 gal water tank too.
When did you know the danger to your home?
About
3:00 pm we started helping our neighbors to evacuate. And we were told we
would have to evacuate.
Who told you that?
I
don’t know.
Was it the police, fire department, etc.
It was Julia Jones, a fireman’s wife, who told us to get out. We
credit her for saving many of our belongings – things we were able to
salvage. I don’t know if she was official or not. She was our “hero for
the day.”
What damage was done to your home?
Our home and our lot is almost totally gone. Only about 10 feet of the lot
isleft…some front yard. Front door is still there. In back of the front
door it shears off all the way down to the river. Some basement concrete
walls are still there. We had a 4500 square foot home made with styrofoam
and concrete and steel walls. No water came inside the house. The land
just eroded away under the foundation, then, the house dropped.
Cost?
$380,000 – we figure that was what it was worth.
Future
plans?
I
don’t know. I sold my dental X-Ray lab business in San Jose and then I got
a disability settlement in 2003. Our home was totally paid for. I paid it
off in August.
Was
your property in the flood zone and did you have insurance?
We knew the river was there. We were 3 feet above the 100-year flood plain
and made sure we were well above the flood plain. It was surveyed and the
engineers told us where we had to put it and no, we don’t have flood
insurance or any kind of insurance that is going to reimburse us for
anything.
Can
you describe your feelings? Despair, loss, frustration, gratitude….
All those feelings…. at first we were in denial that we were going to lose
it. What I had built as a fortress – built to last a 100 years was gone.
Our house stood for at least 5 hours longer than our neighbors. We helped
our neighbors across the street evacuate. Mary stayed until midnight
watching and waiting to see the rest of our house go in. I thought that our
house would become an island because of all the concrete that was in it. It
actually formed a levy that stopped the river and it saved the next few
houses and then it came back around and took our several more homes further
down. It would have taken everything straight down the street if our home
hadn’t been built like it was.
“I
shored up Mary when she was down.” Mary: “I was crying, couldn’t sleep…all
week I would just cry. Now, Ernie is down and I can shore him up.” “I’m
grateful that we can help each other.” We lost our dream home. It was
everything we worked for 30 years and now it is down the river. We know we
don’t have it and there is no way we can have what we had. We just won’t
have the money.
I
know you built a lot of it yourselves. How long did it take to build?
It took about a year to build the house. I put in a lot of “sweat equity”
into it.We lived our dream for 11 months.
What about volunteers?
Oh,
there were a lot. The first to arrive was Jones Paint and Glass. They
were helping the Grays. They brought their trucks. Trailers were brought
in and loaded up. Strangers came and asked where they should take our stuff
and at the time we didn’t know. Some said they were taking things to the
Dixie Center so we told them to take them there. We had no boxes so
everything was taken out in bedspreads, sheets, suitcases and drawers in
some cases, but we had pretty good drawers and they wouldn’t come out.
They would take the bedding – tie it up and go to the next layer and do the
same. They got most of the stuff out.
Did you find it all?
Most of it, but still have some things missing. I still have some firearms
shot gun and hand gun that I haven’t found which is kind of scary.
People would come take things out and put them in cars. They were helping
several homeowners move out, so many things really got mixed up. People
just came and asked if they could help. It wasn’t organized, but we were
grateful.
After it was condemned we couldn’t go in. Squad #27 of Fire Department
came and helped get some things for us. There were some tools and other
stuff in our basement, but it was too dangerous to get them. They drilled
a hole in the floor and a ladder they lowered themselves into the basement
and recovered the tools, a TV and some other items. Very grateful for what
they did. They even dug up some plants for us to take.
Mary: One thing happened that I thought was kind of nice. I was getting
things out and I turned around and there was a little boy about 9 years old
all by himself. So I just handed him a lamp to take out. I thought it was
so nice that a child would help.
Mary: It’s funny what you think sometimes. While people were helping us
move out I found myself telling them to be careful and to stay on the
plastic runs and off the white carpet and to be careful and not break
anything. We told them not to get the built-in TV because we didn’t want
the kitchen cabinets ruined. We really didn’t think it would happen to our
home.
The people that really helped came to the needy. They didn’t make the needy
go to them (Red Cross didn’t). With just one phone call volunteers
came…not just men, but the women. They all came. We helped each other
evacuate.
There
were a lot of different people, church members, other organizations….
17
members of the Green Valley #3rd ward lost their home. TriCity
in Washington U-Haul was very helpful in bringing their trucks and vans. We
didn’t have to go to them. A Ramada Inn owner came Tuesday night to offer
free lodging.
On
Wednesday night Mary decided she would go back to work on Thursday. We
couldn’t find Mary’s uniforms and went to the stake building to try to find
some of our stuff. Stake President Dunn was there and instead of the usual
suit he was in a red shirt and cap. He got up and said, “Oh Ernie, you
need a hug.” And I said that was why I was there. He gave me a big hug
and I will never forget that and then told him what I was looking for.
Larry Bulloch was there and he said “Larry, I want you to call this person
and see if you can get a set of scrubs for Mary and she’s really short.”
He knew what my wife looked like. He told me that if he didn’t get back to
me by 9:30 pm, “I want you to call me personally.” Later a nurse called me
and told me they had worked things out. The real story is that the next
morning at Mary’s work somebody had dropped by four new scrubs for her.
Some nurses at Dixie Regional Medical Denter had done that. Mary: “I
started crying. I couldn’t help but cry. I was so grateful.”
Today Maverik came up with some money for us. Not a hugh amount, but it
was nice. I know that more than half was from Stephen Wade. I had been
working there a couple of shifts just for a little extra spending money.
Mary: “No one got hurt” “We got to live our dream. It’s better than some
people – some will never realize their dream.
Ernie: We lived it for 11 months. The Lord had blessed us tremendously and
has other plans for us.
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