JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. 鈥� Volunteers have descended on western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee to help residents recover from the remnants of Hurricane Helene, including Curt and Ann Neal. The retired couple, from McKinney, Texas, says they鈥檝e volunteered at a dozen disaster sites this year.
Recently their truck and 14 foot utility trailer, filled with tools, brooms and a spray washer, was parked outside a Jonesborough, Tenn. home that was flooded by the Nolichucky River. Volunteers noisily removed the floor, which was damaged by the silty river water.
鈥淲e took the laminate out and underneath the laminate was linoleum. So we're peeling that up as well,鈥� said Curt Neal, who wears a blue hat because he鈥檚 this unit鈥檚 leader. The volunteers are also removing hardwood floors that Neal estimates were first installed 50 years ago.
As climate change makes flooding more frequent and intense, water is reaching places that never used to flood.
鈥淲hen we finish with the house, we'll try to spray wash it 鈥� get it completely cleaned out. And then we have a sanitizer that kills any mold that may have accumulated or starts to grow,鈥� said Neal.
The volunteers wear bright yellow shirts that read 鈥淭exas Baptist Men鈥� 鈥� earlier this year the organization changed its name to . Ann Neal has painted her fingernails (and toenails) to match the blue lettering on the shirts.
鈥淚'm actually the team chaplain, so I spend a lot of time with the homeowner -- huggin鈥� on 鈥榚m, lovin鈥� on 鈥榚m, listening to them.鈥�
Ann Neal said it鈥檚 important to let them 鈥渢ell their stories鈥� as 鈥減art of the healing process.鈥�
The Neals say the yellow shirts brought them to the organization. They saw a group wearing them at church, while visiting their son.
鈥淭hey were there because of a disaster that had taken place 鈥� a flood. And we just kind of looked at each other and said, 鈥榃hen we retire, this is what we're doing,鈥欌�� said Ann Neal, who retired at the end of 2016. They鈥檝e been going to disasters ever since.
鈥淗ow many have we been to? Probably a dozen this year,鈥� she said. Curt Neal estimates they鈥檝e volunteered at 60 disaster sites over the years.
鈥淲e've been to Poland, we've been to Israel, we've been to Cuba. We were in Lahaina, Hawaii, last year to help with the fires there.鈥�
While they鈥檙e Christian evangelists, the group says its help comes without strings. Mollie Freeman said she appreciates the group鈥檚 assistance 鈥� the flooded house belongs to her mother-in-law.
鈥淰ery thankful, because we had gotten everything cleaned out of here 鈥� you can see the furniture is gone,鈥� Freeman said, but there wasn鈥檛 time to tear up the floors yet.
That鈥檚 because Freeman鈥檚 family was busy helping others who were even worse off.
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