Flooding from storm destroys family-owned farm, home in Gilroy
GILROY -- A family that was left homeless with their livelihood ruined is trying to figure out their next move nearly a week after floodwaters overwhelmed the property they lease on Monterey Road right off Highway 101 in Gilroy.
The home was one of the first to be submerged during the storm on January 9th.
Mud, water and debris were pretty much everywhere. The flood knocked over furniture and tossed just about everything several yards.
Maria Morales said she had just left to get gas with her kids.
"She's really sad to see her house like this," said Maria Morales through interpreter Alicia Juarez. "All of her clothing, their belongings, their furniture. They walked away without anything."
The floodwaters destroyed 22 acres of leased land where Maria and her husband run JM Farmers Organic, a small vegetable and berry operation they started in 2016. They had spent years working as farmworkers. They have no other source of income.
They began renting the home three years ago. On Monday, they had spent a full day in the fields before the floodwaters hit.
"She was actually harvesting broccoli, cabbage, beets to sell at the farmers market," explained Juarez. "Everything is pretty much at a loss before her land was certified organic and now with all the water coming up and the mud, that certification has been suspended."
Her equipment is damaged, and all but one of the family's cars are destroyed. Morales said some of her chickens were swept away in the flood.
Juarez, also a Gilroy resident, contacted Morales after reading about her story on social media.
On Saturday, Juarez dropped off donations collected by United Methodist Church in Morgan Hill.
"When we first came to this country, complete strangers helped us out when my parents found themselves in the hospital taking care of my siblings. And so now, I think that's just how I was raised," said Juarez. "I don't know Maria, but now we're become friends."
The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help them navigate the crisis.
"From the bottom of her heart, Maria is asking if anybody is willing to help that she would like to have the opportunity to lease another property... to be able to grow on again," said Juarez. "And to also for her to find a home for her kids."
The Morales family has been staying at a nearby hotel since Monday's storm, but they say they can't afford to stay there much longer.