Escaping floodwaters, Maine family finds comfort at a Red Cross shelter

By Jennifer Costa, regional communications director

“We were at home watching the flooding on social media. We saw where it was flooded down by Lincoln Street.”

Lisa Pepin and her family have rented their home on the other end of Lincoln Street in Lewiston for 20 years. As they watched the flood water creep closer, they knew it was just a matter of time.

“We decided to go out and look. Sure enough it was coming across the road,” Lisa said.

And before they knew it, swollen Androscoggin River brought the icy water to their door.

“The culvert on both sides of the road was full and it was pouring into our basement,” she said.

Lisa’s first call was to her landlord. Then police showed up with a mandatory evacuation order. 

“They said you have until 4:30 p.m. to get out of here. They were anticipating major flooding. So, we packed up the cats and the dog and headed to Connors Elementary,” Lisa said.

That’s where the city of Lewiston had opened an evacuation center as a short-term solution to give residents in harm’s way a safe place to go. Working closely with city officials and emergency management, the Red Cross mobilized its own disaster workforce – and within hours opened an emergency shelter at a nearby conference center. Dozens of displaced residents – many with nothing but the clothes on their backs – transitioned from the school to the shelter. Overnight, the Red Cross provided safe refuge to 20 adults, 18 children and several pets.

“We were warm. We were dry,” Lisa said, holding her beloved dog, Butter. 

History shows that people will risk their lives for their family pets during disasters, either by not evacuating or trying to rescue them. The Red Cross understands the important emotional role pets play in the lives of their owners and encourage people to develop emergency preparedness plans for themselves and their pets. If it’s not safe for you to stay, it’s not safe for your pets.

In Lewiston, the Red Cross partnered with the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society to welcome pets at the shelter, which Lisa says was incredibly comforting. Having her fur babies close was important. She even pulled up her cot so she could sleep near their crates. 

“Butter was very good all night long,” Pepin said, hugging her pup. “Only a couple times did she bark. She’s a big mama’s girl and the cats have been fine too.”

As Lisa waited at the shelter with her youngest son, she said she’s anxious to return home. Her landlord texted some photos, so she has an idea of what’s to come. Lisa is trying to remain optimistic with the holidays right around the corner.

“Right now, the basement is flooded. It’s probably halfway up the stairs – so five-and-a-half to six feet of water. We don’t have any damage inside the house, other than it being torn apart looking for the cats. But my oldest son is working on cleaning that up now,” she said.

After spending nearly 24 hours at the shelter, Lisa got word city officials were allowing residents to go home. As she and her family embark on their road to recovery, she says she’s grateful for the food, shelter, showers and support the Red Cross provided during an exceedingly stressful time.

“We would have had no place to go,” she said. “My only family was also getting evacuated, so we weren’t going to be able to go to her house. This shelter was a good option for us. Thank you.”

The Red Cross stands on the frontlines of the climate crisis with families and communities — responding to rapidly intensifying storms, extreme heat, widespread wildfires and record floods, much like we just experienced in Maine. The impacts of the climate crisis are disrupting lives and causing devastating harm to people in our region and across the country. In the last 10 years, the number of billion-dollar disasters has increased by 80% in the U.S. — on top of smaller everyday crises like home fires, which are no less traumatic to the families coping with them. As extreme weather shows no signs of slowing down, more people will need help from the Red Cross. We are adapting our mission and growing our capacity. We stand ready to answer the call.

All Red Cross assistance is provided free of charge and made possible by the generosity of the public. To donate to Red Cross Disaster Relief and help people affected by disasters big and small, visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS. To become a Red Cross volunteer visit www.redcross.org/volunteer.