Benton resident Sheila Carey picks through the ruble and ashes of her home at 1515 Virgil Street. Her home was a complete loss, burning down in the midst of flooding from torrential rains the county experienced in early April.
Benton resident Sheila Carey picks through the ruble and ashes of her home at 1515 Virgil Street. Her home was a complete loss, burning down in the midst of flooding from torrential rains the county experienced in early April.
Benton resident Sheila Carey picks through the ruble and ashes of her home at 1515 Virgil Street. Her home was a complete loss, burning down in the midst of flooding from torrential rains the county experienced in early April.
Brent Davis
The old saying goes, “When it rains, it pours.”, meaning that when one bad thing happens, it is often followed by several other bad things. For Benton resident Sheila Carey, recent events prove this to be more than a saying. It’s her new reality.
Carey lives at 1515 Virgil Street. At least she did. Now, she lives in an apartment. On Sunday, April 6, during the torrential rains blanketing the county in stormwater, the next “bad thing” happened.
She left her home the night before due to rising flood waters. Located adjacent to the Hooked on Fishing pond of the city Parks Department and a short distance from the Saline River, she knew her best option was to leave her home before water covered the roads leading to her secluded and peaceful location at the end of the cul-de-sac.
Fortunately for her, family members live close by and share a common area behind her home.
“My sister was screaming I had to get out.”, says Carey. So, she packed up a small bag of clothes and left. The following morning was a moment in time she will always remember.
“I was at my sister’s house.”, says Carey. “She lives up the road from me. About 5 a.m., she heard sirens. And she woke me up thinking my dad’s house was on fire. As we got closer, we discovered it was my house.”
Sheila Carey’s house engulfed in flames on April 6.
SHEILA CAREY
Firefighters could not reach Virgil Street. The water had risen too high for the trucks to navigate. Instead, they approached the fire from Bradbury Street a block away, crossing the common family field behind her house.
“The water was up to the firefighters knees.” says Carey as she recalls watching them trudge through the water. Eventually, the fire was brought under control.
“Nothing is left”, says Carey. “Everything burned. I wasn’t able to salvage anything, just what I took with me to my sister’s.”
When the water receded, she was able to reach her home as she always did for 35 years. The sight of her burned out house “took my breath away. It was terrible.”
She took in the sight and came to the realization that treasured family mementos were gone for good. Her souvenirs from visiting a Super Bowl to see the Kansas City Chiefs play. Her collection of books and Winnie the Pooh memorabilia. Family photos. Clothing. The usual items such as sheets, furniture, food. All gone, except for two pair of tennis shoes on a table near her driveway.
But an even more difficult “next thing” was to come later. On Tuesday, she found the body of her dog Max near the woods behind her house.
“Max as skin and bones when he showed up at my house years ago.”, she says. “He was a stray. A pit bull mixture. A bit of a mutt. But I took care of him and he hung around. We didn’t see him after the fire when we came back. Later we found him. It looked like he had been burned. He must have wondered off and then came back. He was a good dog.”
Later that afternoon, she buried Max in her backyard.
On Tuesday, Ms. Carey buried her beloved dog, Max, in the backyard of her home.
Brent Davis
Coming to grips with the loss has been difficult. At 57 years of age, she recalls this home as the only real place she has known.
“We moved here when I was in the fifth grade. Now it’s all gone. I’ve worked all my life, managed on my own all these years, and this happens.”
She admits her situation has been tough on her emotions. “At night, I sometimes have anxiety attacks. I have to open the windows and curtains in the bedroom so that I can get air and see outside. But I’ll get through it.”
It’s that positive attitude that is helping her look to the future. She is working with her insurance company and has moved into an apartment for the time being.
She plans to rebuild on the site with two special requests.
“My living room had been facing the back of the house. I want the living room to be in the front next time so I can see the water nearby. I’ve always wanted a house on a beach.”, she says. But there is another reason for a front facing living room. “I want to look to the future, not the past.”
Her second request – “This time, I’m going to have it built on stilts!”
