Vt. PEACHAM. John and Jenny Mackenzie’s cars were overturned and driven away by rising flood waters last summer when they evacuated their Vermont home with their daughters, dog, and two guinea pigs.
They had left their 19th-century wood-frame home just minutes before, when Hurricane Beryl’s aftermath transformed it into an island engulfed by rushing floodwaters, with trees crashing into it and water pouring into the first floor and basement at breakneck speed.
John Mackenzie described the bizarre scenario on that July 10 night as “almost like a horror movie at that point.”
According to Jenny Mackenzie, we lost at least half of our belongings, along with our house, barn, and both of our cars.
The Mackenzies, who are both teachers, and their twin girls have been temporarily residing at a friend’s house ever since that horrible storm when two people were killed and washed away in cars. They have rushed to come up with a long-term solution, which is a difficult undertaking in a state where there is a housing scarcity and government initiatives to purchase properties damaged by flooding can take a year or longer and are not always successful.
But the family is starting a new chapter four months after the tragic loss.
In the face of persistent difficulties, the Mackenzies have found a new home in time for Thanksgiving thanks to donations from friends, family, and neighbors. Their recuperation is being covered by the Associated Press.
Community rallies to help flood-stricken family
The Mackenzies soon discovered the extent of their support.
Dozens of volunteers arrived two days after the hurricane to help save what they could. Their septic system was wrecked, and the lawn had been reduced to a muddy chasm by floodwaters.
Volunteers transported furniture and other possessions across a ravine in the rain to all-terrain vehicles that were waiting. The vehicles then took them on muddy roads to the village where the family is staying.
An online fundraising website created by friends has raised more than $160,000. Donations ranging from $5 to $10,000 have been received, some from previous pupils, totaling over 950.
John Mackenzie, 49, said, “It’s incredible how we were supported, and we’ve been trying to find ways to communicate that gratitude.”
According to his 50-year-old wife, the gifts enabled them to continue teaching, purchase used cars, and live their lives. “It means a lot that people were thinking about them, even more than the money,” she added.
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