Disaster relief groups tarp Nevada County roofs still damaged from last winter's storms
NEVADA COUNTY - People in Nevada County are bracing for wet weather while still building back from last winter's storms.
Volunteers from disaster relief groups have been helping folks by tarping up their roofs ahead of the wet weather.
"We were just looking at every angle. How can we get this done? Can we afford it in our budget this month?" said Carroll Connell who lives in Nevada County.
Driving around the area during the winter, it was a common sight to come across collapsed roofs. Now, with more wet weather on the way, help could not come at a more crucial time.
Local emergency management group Connecting Point has partnered with disaster relief group Rubicon to clear debris, seal holes, and tarp up roofs for people in the community who need the help most.
"It relieved us of so much heartache," Carroll said. "We were just at a loss of what we were going to do."
Carroll and David Connell had a lot of damage done to their roof during last winter's storms and were unable to repair it over the spring or summer.
A brown tarp now conceals the chaos the storms caused to the couple's home.
"The storm last year lifted some tiles and opened up a gap between a ridge cap and the roof, and some water got in there," David Connell said.
Nevada County was part of the federal disaster declaration for last winter's storms, but individual homeowners could not apply for FEMA assistance until July. There were 253 households that applied for the help, but more than half of the homes never got repaired.
A spokesperson from Connecting Point said there are not enough contractors.
Matthew Henderson, a Rubicon incident commander, said many county residents are low-income. Volunteers helped veterans like, David, the elderly and disabled folks at zero cost.
"[One] lady remembered me and said, 'You helped rescue our kitten,' and we just get big hugs," Henderson said.
Rubicon was active in Nevada County last March by cutting out trees that trapped residents.
"It is an honor to be able to go on to somebody's property and then walk away knowing that you helped that one person during that worst time in their life," Henderson said. "You made their life just a little bit easier."
Now they are doing the same for folks who need it most before the next storm hits.
"There's just not more damage happening to the house because we have enough to take care of already," Carroll said.
The Connells said they still need to work on their driveway that got snowed in last winter, but a roof repair is huge for them.
"This is going to do it for us and save us from the damage that would have occurred otherwise," David said.
The volunteers have tarped up the roofs of 10 homes in Nevada County and some in Truckee over the past few days. Henderson said they use heavy-duty and specialty tarps, so they are confident the roofs will withstand whatever the winter brings.
If you live in Nevada County and still have storm damage, Connecting Point said to call 211 to be directed to a disaster case manager who will screen you for eligibility.