Faith-based disaster group helps Dixie County families through flooding crisis

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CROSS CITY, Fla. (WCJB) - The Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief of Florida were at Lydia Baptist Church in Dixie County with more than 100 volunteers helping families during this flooding crisis but the high water levels still in the area is stopping them from helping many.

The disaster relief group was removing furniture and belongings for Dixie and Taylor County families and tackling mold after the flooding had gone down.

They’ve reached homes in Steinhatchee but they aren’t able to get to a lot of the homes in Old Town and Cross City because water levels are so high and not receding.

State director of disaster relief David Coggins said he doesn’t know when this historical flooding will end.

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“The emergency management office has told us it’s coming in some very unique places and some different ways, not just from the creek or waterways but coming up out of the ground because the water table is so high,” Coggins explained.

Shawn Hoisington was staying in old town at his best friends house and most of their belongings were outside in a tent when flooding began. He and loved ones have been staying in a hotel since Aug. 3.

“It’s devastating, it’s stressful,” Hoisington said. “We lost all of our stuff here with it being outside and we all had to go to a hotel and we’ve been paying for a hotel ever since.”

Related story: “I think it is coming up out of the ground”: Dixie County homes & roads continue to flood

Haley Reaves and Lacie Medlin said their friends at school are facing hard times as well.

“Some of them have to stay home,” Medlin said.

“The buses won’t go to their houses to pick them up directly so they have to walk down roads and stuff to get on the bus,” Reaves added.

Coggins said they will be assisting until the end of the week, but will have local volunteers ready to help.

“People are hurting and we try to encourage them, we try to help them,” Coggins added. “We try to bring some hope and some encouragement to them.”

He said they were expecting even more volunteers on Monday.

To contact the Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief of Florida, call (904) 253-0502.

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