I am an American: Boating on flooded streets to aid Irma victims
Thaddeus MastDon’t call Don Manley a hero. He hates the word, saying it is reserved for others facing greater challenges.
But for the people living in a flooded Southwest Florida community, the term seems appropriate.
The Imperial River spilled its banks into a Bonita Springs neighborhood after Hurricane Irma’s downpour, forcing feet of water into kitchens and living rooms. Many homes were still damp from huge rainstorms just a few weeks prior.
Locals escaped to shelters or sturdier homes as the hurricane passed, returning to rivers instead of streets. People wanted to get what little was left of their belongings, wading through dangerous waters with boxes of family photos and important documents.
The low-income area houses many Hispanic families, and immigration papers are vital to FEMA aid requests.
Don Manley drove by the flooded area a day after Irma hit and saw a boy floating down his street.
“I drove home, got my boat and went in the water,” he said.
Manley spent days in the fishing boat, going up and down the swamped streets. Locals stood patiently near his boat trailer backed into Saunders Avenue, waiting for Manley to take them home.
His boat returned loaded with boxes, totes and garbage bags filled with people’s remaining treasures.
“If we’re 8 years old playing in dirty water in a boat, our moms would give us hell,” he said. “And now, we’re called heroes. Are you kidding me?”
It took more than a week of slowly receding flood waters to make the boat unnecessary. However, Manley went back to the neighborhood every day, trading out his boat trailer for a crowbar. Scores of volunteers like Manley now help residents gut their homes, tossing furniture and drywall in six-foot-tall debris piles on the curb.
The gutting process will be long, Manley said. He’s personally worked through about 15 houses in about a week. More than 200 homes fill the flooded neighborhood.
But Manley’s personal love and investment in the area will keep him working through the end.
“People say, ‘Oh you’re wonderful,’ ” Manley said. “I say, ‘No, I’m not. I do this because I’m selfish.’ This is what I’m supposed to do.”
Q&A:
What does it mean to you to be an American?
It means having the greatest freedom and opportunity in the world, but it also comes with the requirements that we help those less fortunate.
What moment touched and motivated you to launch this effort?
There are two moments. The first one is always help those in need. But the moment that solidified it for me was seeing a young man in an inner tube floating down his road trying to get to his house to save what meager possessions he had. That just resonates in my mind, and I'll never forget it.
What gives you hope or what concerns you?
What gives me hope is the people we're helping. Really, it's more than hope. What gives me peace of mind is knowing that this is going to be OK is Miesel, who tells me, 'I am saved. I am alive. God bless, I am an American,' and he's had his house destroyed. And he's thankful. It doesn't give me hope, it gives me absolute knowledge that this is going to be OK.
What do you hope to accomplish through your efforts?
I just want to give this small community the opportunity to return to normalcy. That's the only thing I hope to accomplish, to get them back to a normal life.
Bio:
Location: Estero, Florida
Age: 63
Profession: Retired, former owner of care centers
Mission: "If I can make this place a little better, I've done my job. Wherever I happen to be."