“I can’t even thank everyone for the things they did. It was just amazing,” Elizabeth Tzimbidaros said as she fought back tears.
The Southbury resident described what it was like to see the storm hit her neighborhood last week.
“Eventually the water came in like a river and it filled our basement up to the ceiling,” Cimbidaros said.
And she says she feels like she’s living in a nightmare.
“Forty years of my memories and my life are in a container right now,” she said.
But her neighbors offer their help. One of them even offered her a home for the time being, which she says makes the situation a little more bearable.
Community members in Oxford, one of the worst-hit cities, are trying to do the same for flood victims like her.
“In good times, Quarry Walk is a place for community. During bad times, even more so,” said property manager Kathy Ekstrom.
Ekstrom, of Haynes Development’s Quarry Walk, a mixed-use residential and commercial space, says she wanted to do something to help homeowners and businesses affected by the flooding.
On Saturday, she hosted what’s called the Quarry Walk Rebuild Expo, where dozens of companies from across the state offered their resources, education and advice to people in need.
“Anywhere from new flooring to laundry to generators to propane tanks, you name it,” Ekstrom said.
An excavation company based in Bethel was also there. Datin Bros. Inc just helped a Southbury customer who lost his driveway in the storm.
“They couldn’t get in, they couldn’t get out. We were here Monday morning, you know, trying to get them back on their feet,” Cynthia Datin said.
That’s been the focus all week – recovery and helping people recover.
“We make small acts of kindness into big things. In the grand scheme of things, this is just a small drop in the bucket, but we hope to make people’s lives better,” Ekstrom said.