Our Evacuation Story

It’s been over a month since the Yukon River jammed as the ice broke up which resulted in flooding Galena, our village of about 500.  Normally break up is a highly anticipated event for our community as it is the sign of our transition from Spring to Summer.  This year it served as a transition again, but this time a transition to unexpected paths and summer plans.  

I write this story of our Yukon River Rescue in a tone of thankfulness.  I am thankful to be alive and well, and that God has protected us during this time.  I could go on and on and list the things I am thankful for, like the fact that even our dogs, Sam and Maggie were rescued, or that our small community worked together and served each other in the midst of tragedy or that although we faced such great danger during the flood there were no casualties.  And I thank my God for all of this.  He’s the one who protected us.  He’s the one who spared us in so many ways.  Yes, we lost many things, but rather than focusing on that, look for the way God cared for us as I tell my story.

Sunday May 26

We got ready for church like any typical Sunday.  I remember thinking, ‘It’s been so warm these last few days I hope the river breaks soon.’  We knew the ice was much thicker this year, and we were expecting to see high waters once the ice began to move. At church we heard the news that the ice was moving.  Break up had begun.  We always have potluck after church, and that day everyone talked excitedly about heading straight to the river to watch the ice go out.  It’s an amazing time to witness the Mighty Yukon take us from Spring to Summer. We rushed home and planned to change clothes and drive to the river as quickly as possible.  But shortly after we got home, Ross Tulloch arrived and asked Chris for help in moving the rest of their belongings from Old Town to New Town. Old Town is right on the river bank, and where the village was originally built.  New Town was built after a previous flood and is further from the river bank. Our home, the parsonage is in New Town.  Ross and Wendy were moving into a new home they planned to rent for the upcoming school year.  Chris and Ross hurried off while I got the kids loaded in the Explorer to go watch the river.  As we drove along the Tiger Freeway, the main road that runs parallel to the river, we were surprised to see the ice and water flowing right at the level of the river bank.  Already the waters had risen.  As we pulled up to the lookout spot, Preston was very anxious.  He didn’t want to get out of the truck, but we did.  We hurriedly took a couple of pictures with the river in the background, chatted with a few community members who confirmed the water was rising, and decided to head back home.  The main reason was because Preston was nervous and even said, “Mommy I don’t like this.  It’s going to flood.” On the ride home we prayed a lot.  Preston calmed down as we drove.

Our quick pic by the river

Back at the house we played outside and even had neighbors, Joe and Landon, over playing with the boys.  It was a warm day and we wanted to enjoy it.  We saw water rising in the grass lake behind our house. That was expected because a culvert that runs under the main road carries water to the grass lakes behind houses on my street.  We watched the water rise 12 feet in 12 hours and then it seemed to stop. During that afternoon we evacuated our chickens from the low lying area behind our house because their coop was beginning to flood.  The kids played in the water, which was about 38 degrees, and they canoed and played in a raft.  The flood was still fun that day. We put the kids to bed and Chris and I began to move things under the garage and house to higher ground.  We moved a lot of chicken feed inside the arctic entry.  I remember we only saw one Vole.  They creep me out just as much as a rat or mouse.  Then we moved bikes, shovels, tools, and potting soil in our garage and up on our back deck. The water was about 1 ft. from being under our garage and house when we went to bed at midnight. Chris set his alarm to go off every hour or two so we could check the water level.  It was a long restless night. The water rose minimally overnight.

Boys playing in the cold cold water

I took this from the second floor looking down.  The 'leaves' you see are floating on water.  This is where the boys were playing earlier in the afternoon.

The big silver pipe is where the gray water exits our house.  It is floating, but still attached.

Good thing we got the chickens out before the water got this high.

Chickens literally cooped up...in their temporary home.

But they would only stay here until the next day.

Monday May 27^th

Mid-morning I was standing out on our back deck when I noticed water rising quickly. We were on the phone with one of our parents and hung up because Chris and I realized we needed to move the snow machines to higher ground, our road.  We also needed to check on Martin and Silke’s chickens down the road. Some of them had gotten out and were running around.  Let me tell you, it is hard to catch a chicken on the loose! Preston and Chris started out.  Then later Chris came back to work at our house and I went down to help catch chickens and recruited our neighbor, Joe to help.  After a while we gave up.  The rooster was making me nervous, and we went home.  But then friends stopped by to offer us help so we sent them down to catch the chickens.  They finally got them and locked them up in the coop Martin had stationed right at the road.  It was much higher ground than the temporary chicken yard had been.  As we finished moving the snow machines the water seemed to stop rising and even receded a bit.  In the lull we even decided to drive around town.  I hadn’t left the house since yesterday, but Chris had made multiple trips to the end of our road to see the river.  We knew it had washed out the main road near our house, and I was curious to see it.  We all loaded up to take a drive.  We saw chunks of ice on the main road which was barricaded since water had breached it and washed parts of it away.   We chatted with friends and community people.  Chris worked together with some other men to help a lady who had driven her truck in the deep water on a road. It was like we all thought the worst was over.  We took the other road that leads to the airport, now the only road that leads to Old Town and the airport, to pick up packages at Era, also known as our local UPS.  While we were there we heard the water was rising again. 

As we ventured down our street..... This is where the water washed over the main road in front of the Elder Center.

Same view, zoomed in.  You can see cars in the distance with people looking at the water over the road.  The black pipe in the lower left is the city water line floating after the gravel washed out.

The same piece of road viewed from the opposite side of the washed out section.  The river flowed from the right side of the picture.  You can see icebergs are beached in the road.

Chris and Jason Harris assisting a lady to dry land.  This road was low lying and filled with water.

This is also the main road further down by the Community Hall.  It is also washed out.  Later when we evacuated by boat this area was completely under water.

When we got home, we found it was true.  This time the water was rising much faster. I went inside with the kids while Chris stayed outside to work. He rode off on the 3 wheeler to check on our friend’s houses on our street.  They were already out of the village.  Chris worked tirelessly moving things to higher ground.  When he switched to wearing chest waders, I began to wonder if we’d be able to stay at our house for the night.  The kids seemed scared so I turned on cartoons.  Our house quickly became an island. 

Preston's boots and my socks.  We're standing on the stairs that lead to the arctic entry (the main entry to the house).  Preston is on the bottom step.

Water still rising and rising.  This was the last pic Chris took before we started preparing to evacuate.

 I remember a snapshot of Chris struggling to tie down our fuel oil tank as it began to float away.  Jason called during that time and I reported that water was 3-4 feet away from our road.  He checked to see if Chris was thinking through disconnecting the necessary things. I also reported that our big pipe that carried our gray water from the house had been ripped off.  He quickly gave me a report about water levels on their street.  Chris continued to work in the deep water.  We prayed continually begging God to stop the rising water and for protection of everyone around the village.  Chris had been sending regular prayer requests via e mail, and he asked me to send one on his behalf.  I think that was the last time I got on the internet.  I also stopped taking pictures.  Things were shifting from fun to serious.  

One funny snapshot in my memory: Keith, a good friend, drove up in my driveway that has been shortened by the water to about 6 feet. He’s on his 4 wheeler with a gallon of milk.  Now, in Galena, a gallon of milk is $9 or $12.  He shuts off the machine and says he got it half off.  My friend was delivering me milk in the middle of a flood.  That’s how we roll in Galena.  I just shook my head and told him “No thanks.  I can’t get to you to get it, and you can’t get to me. Maybe see if the Riddles (another neighbor) want it. “  

The next snap shot is me looking out the window asking Chris what I should do next.   He told me to move anything on the floor of the first floor upstairs if I didn’t want it to get wet.  FYI: mostly, I do not think clearly in high pressure situations other than to make sure the kids are safe.   I remember looking around and then I spotted my vacuum.  I put that upstairs.  Then I went into Cara’s room and noticed every toy she owned was on the floor.   I quickly picked up, tossed boxes of toys on her big bed, and then looked around for anything else.  Everything else that caught my eye seemed too heavy.  So I stuck my head outside and Chris confirmed it was time to pack a bag.  The kids were still distracted by cartoons.  I got 2 sets of clothes for each kid and Cara’s favorite blanket.  Next I went upstairs to pack our clothes.  I was just getting started when the siren went off.  It had gone off that morning, with its normal wail rising and falling.  But, this time the siren was blaring one long note.  It was so loud and seemed to go on forever. Later on I learned this was to communicate we needed to evacuate to the school.  The boys ran upstairs.  I tried to explain I needed to pack a bag in case Daddy said we needed to evacuate to the school.  They were so scared and I could tell Cara didn’t understand.  I asked Preston to help.  He went downstairs to get me a duffel bag.  The siren was still going.  I explained the siren was to let people know something is going on somewhere in the village.  It’s to warn people to get ready.  One of the boys asked if it meant there was a fire somewhere.  I hoped not. I asked the boys to pack some snacks for us.  Clint was initially excited about this and it was an okay distraction from the siren. They grabbed Twizzlers and fruit snacks while I packed toothbrushes and toothpaste.  Next they grabbed a box of pop tarts and a bag of candy.  I said no to the candy, but the pop tarts were okay.  Later the pop tarts became dinner with our friends.  I grabbed the camera, phone, lap top, tablet, and most of the chargers.  I didn’t think of my wedding ring or wallet.  Later on I found out Chris did get my wallet for me.  I told the boys to get some healthier snacks like granola bars.  They also thought to get juice boxes. We forgot to pack water.  Even though the water was turned off, Chris had collected jugs of water the day before. 

I checked with Chris if he wanted us to evacuate and told him the bags were packed. He said yes. He was rescuing our chickens from their temporary shelter we had set up and shoving them into Sam’s dog kennel.   I decided now I had to tell the kids what was about to happen.  I told them we’d have to leave the house and go to the school.  To do that we were all going to put on rubber boots.  Then we would go out into the arctic entry and put on our life jackets.  We had put the life jackets in there the previous night.  It was a good move.  After that Daddy would load them in the canoe.  Sam and Maggie were nervous.  They were locked in the laundry room (with a kiddie gate that we always have up so we can see them).  I took off their shock collars and said good-bye.  Chris came in with the chickens in the dog kennel while we were at the door putting on boots.  

Another snapshot: Clint ran off into the house and then came right back.  He was holding a small Maglite flashlight that he got from Ross and Wendy Tulloch for his birthday this year.  He was crying and said, “But Mommy can I please bring my flashlight?”  I told him of course, but he needed to put it in his pocket and keep up with it.  I checked with Chris that we had room for our bags in the canoe.  Yes.  We grabbed dirty socks by the door, or no socks at all.  I handed Chris our 4 small bags.  We got our life jackets on.  We had already moved the canoe to our stairs at the main entrance to the house.  Chris loaded the kids.  I was the last one to get in the canoe, and I smiled as I looked at the kids while I stepped in.  They were safe….  They were very quiet and there were no tears for now.  They were very concerned about the dogs, and Chris assured them he would be coming back to get them after we were at the school.  

The water was at the threshold to the arctic entry as Chris walked us to the road.  (He was still in his chest waders.) Many Gabes St. (our road) people were driving their vehicles to the school.  Jason Harris stopped to ask if he could help as we unloaded the kids from the canoe.  He offered to take the kids in his truck.  I let him.  I loaded the bags into our van and turned it around to drive to the school.  Water was also up to the road on the opposite side of the road.  The last time I had looked, it was empty.  I followed cars the short distance to the school.  I unloaded the bags and saw Jason Harris with my kids.  He helped me with the bags, and Charlene too.  She’s another neighbor.  The elders from the Elder Center were there, but they came the previous day.  Some kids were crying, but mine seemed to be excited to see friends.  The school provided a safe place that our house no longer provided.  

We all gathered in the library area.  Carrie Givens, a neighbor and teacher, offered to put a movie on for some of the kids as a distraction.  Finding  Nemo.  Shortly after that the power was shut off.  I saw Susan Erickson and Laila, her granddaughter.  Susan is a friend that goes to church with us.  Cara and Laila are both 3 and good friends.  We sat down and swapped stories of evacuating our homes and where our husbands were.  The kids settled in and were playing in the library with board games or looking at books.  Celia volunteered to be in charge of communicating with others around town with radios and organizing the people at the school.  She made announcements periodically with directions for keeping order like toilet instructions and conserving drinking water.  We were limited on food and cups and drinking water.  People, dogs, and cats, seemed to arrive consistently.  We were thankful we had Clint’s flashlight because the bathrooms were pitch dark.  He just beamed when we told him we would need to use it.  I chatted with people here and there and kept a close watch on the kids.  The elders were all telling me they’d never seen water do this.  

Chris was still working back at the house.  Later I found out he rescued the dogs by canoe and put them in our Explorer that was parked at the school.  He was also able to move a few more important things like his guns, kids’ clothes and kids’ mattresses higher up or to the upstairs.  When I finally did see him at the school it was only briefly.  He went back out to help others.  

Sam and Maggie's evacuation, along with MREs for people at the school.

We waited and tried to keep track of the kids who were feeling free and running in the gym or down the halls.  Cara and I read books in the library on one of the couches to pass some time.  It was really hot in the library.  The kids ate snacks and drank juice that they had packed.  I borrowed a phone and called Barb to tell her we were okay but evacuated to the school, and I asked her to let my mom know.  Chris came back to the school and looked exhausted.  I had heard about the possibility of evacuating to Fairbanks by plane.  Celia said they definitely wanted to get the elders out.  An official announcement was made to sign up if we wanted to be put on a list for possible evacuation.  Chris and I talked and decided it would be good for the kids and I to go, but he would stay.  Before we even talked I knew he would say this.  So I signed us up.  Michelle Kopp.  Preston Kopp.  Clint Kopp.  Cara Kopp.  Then I called my friend, Debbie Seeger, that lives in Fairbanks and asked if she could pick us up whenever we arrived, and if she had room for us to stay the night.  She said yes.

As organization progressed (between 3 people with radios) it was explained that the elders would go first.  There would be 2 flights coming in.  The first would seat 16. The second, 28.  Celia began organizing the sign up list.  What a hard job.  More people had signed up than there were seats available.  And more people were still arriving.  Celia started selecting people for the ‘second’ plane that was coming.  She began by asking mom’s with the youngest children.  That’s how we got on the list.  Cara is 3, and there weren’t too many younger than her that were there at that time.  Susan and Laila also got on the list for the same plane.  We waited a while longer.  Lots of people were in the school now.  It was hard to keep the kids corralled and entertained.  We were told to help the elders get out when their boat comes.  So far we hadn’t been told how we would get to the airport, but I knew things were getting worse when we were told we’d have to get there by boat.  I went out to the front parking lot to look for where we were supposed to load onto a boat, but the parking lot was still dry.  We could see water rushing one street over in Alexander Lake.  The boat with elders had gone, and would be returning for us.  When I went back inside we were urged to get our things together, and I thought I was ready to go until I realized I couldn’t find Cara’s rain boots.  We searched all over.  Chris was back again, so he helped Susan and me.  Chris finally found them in the bathroom.  The kids decided they were hungry, which wasn’t the best timing because we were supposed to be ready to scoot out the door at any moment.  They asked for rice and corn from the food that had been brought in.  They hurried to eat it up so we could go.  One thing to keep in mind is that all the boats were winterized around town.  So preparations had to be made before the men who volunteered could even begin to offer their help in the rescues.  Chris Reitan, school superintendent, called our names to go and escorted us to his truck along with Susan and Laila.  He asked my Chris if we had our life jackets, and as a matter of fact, we did.  I’m so thankful Susan and I got ‘stuck’ with each other.  We were from here on out evacuation partners. We threw our bags in the back of his truck and say goodbye to Chris.  Susan and Laila say goodbye to Arne (Susan’s husband). 

 We drove the short distance across the road and to a house that had Alexander Lake in its back yard.  Other women and children were there.  Two jet boats were in the water ready to be boarded.  I saw Jenny Pelkola, an elder we go to church with, and she was writing down the names of everyone going.  She called me over to give all our names.  Then someone noticed we had life jackets…..and most everyone else did not.  It was decided we would go first because they wanted to use our life jackets for the others on subsequent trips transporting all these women and children. I told them sure.  We hopped in the boat.  I think there were 4 ladies on my boat and 7 kids plus the driver.  When everyone was seated we took off down the Alexander Lake.  We were shocked at how much water we saw everywhere.  Once we got to the Community Hall, which is on the main road, we were gasping at what we saw.  It looked like the main road had become part of the Yukon.  We had no idea the road was completely covered like that.  I’m still praying constantly and mostly out loud.  Clint and I were talking about how we hadn’t planned to go on our first boat ride of the season today.  We were trying to keep the situation light.  I’m so glad Susan and I were travel  buddies.  Looking ahead we saw icebergs in the water covering the road.  Some were huge.  Some of them blocked our path, so we traveled in the space that used to exist as dry ground between the river and the road.  It was thick with birch trees but no icebergs.  We held the kids’ heads down to protect them from the branches.  Then we saw the dike road ahead rising up out of the water. 

 A school bus waited for us.  I prayed with thanksgiving as the boat met the road.  We quickly unloaded and passed the life jackets back into the boat.  We then boarded the bus and found the elders that were evacuated previously waiting patiently on board.  Preston exclaimed as we entered, “I’ve never gotten to ride on a school bus before!”  We waited for more people to board.  When the bus was nearly full, we started off down the dike road.  From where I sat, I couldn’t see Old Town as we passed, but I could hear the ladies’ comments around me.  The bus driver was going slowly and my adrenaline was telling me this is an emergency.  We continued on at a slow and safe pace, even though my insides were urging the bus on faster.  The road that goes around the end of the dike was completely covered in deep water so the bus turned and drove on the actual dike that crosses from the Old Town side to the airport side.  When we arrived at the airport I noticed only one plane.  It didn’t concern me too much because I assumed the next one would arrive shortly.  The elders exited the bus first and boarded the plane.  We collected our bags and went inside the airport to wait.  Susan and I were still together.  I remember we were all really hot.  Babies and toddlers were crying because they were so hot and tired.  I had left most of the snacks at the school with Chris because I thought we were leaving Galena pretty quickly.  I had packed a few snacks, but forgot the essential, water.  Inside the airport felt even hotter, but at least we didn’t feel the sun beating down on us.  Nearly every small child in the room was restless and tired.  The two airport employees I saw looked tired, stressed, and like one who holds bad news they’re about to share.  Shawn, the manager of Era in Galena, opened the drink machine and offered everyone something to drink.  It was such a relief!  Next we were told no more planes were coming.  I went to talk to Shawn, and he told me they were trying to get some planes to come out.  I asked him if I called some missionary pilots who could fly out here, could I give them his (Shawn’s) number so that he could coordinate.  He gave me his number and said sure.  I asked Susan to watch my kids so that I could make some phone calls.  

The weight of the situation had just intensified.  When we stood outside the airport we could see the dike, and it was still intact, but the water was close to being level with the dike road.  And we could see big chunks of ice that had risen above the water level because of the jam, and they were not moving.  I realized we were only safe so long as the dike could hold, but it seemed like it wouldn’t take much for the water to come over the dike.  (We’d watched it rise 6 feet in 30 minutes at our house).  Also, we had no boats, no life jackets, no food supply, and no water.  We had all these things back at the school.  We also were mostly women with very young children.  The men were across town at the school, and scattered about helping others.  I stepped outside and made 3 phone calls.  First, I called Jim Capaldo, Missions Pastor at Changepoint, the largest church in Alaska.  He visited our home about a week before the flood.  I explained our desperate situation and asked if he could communicate our need to others with planes and pilots.  Next, I called my sister in law, Kim, who was in Anchorage already.  She was disgusted when she heard the status of the flood and the lack of response from the state.  She promised to communicate our needs to as many as possible.  Next, I called Josh Kaufield.  He is the aviation instructor for the school, a pilot, friend and missionary who serves Galena with us.  He and his wife, Theresa, and daughter, Naomi, were already in Soldotna.  I asked him for help also, and he also says he’ll see what he can do.  In the middle of this phone call, Susan comes with all our kids, and tells me we’re all going over to GILA (the boarding school which is also inside the dike) to wait.  I hurried to finish the phone call, and we loaded the bus for a second time that day, this time with no enthusiasm because this was not about to be over. 

 I continued to pray.  When we arrived at the dorms, Ben Blasco offered us water and Powerade.  He also let us know they had sheets and blankets available and that we could make ourselves comfortable in any room on the second or third floor.  It sounded like we would spend the night.  Women and children scurried up the stairs. Susan and I got into a room that overlooked the airport, dike, and river.  The kids were weary, but in good spirits.  They were busy exploring the room, and I felt like I had to pry myself away from the window, hoping and watching for planes to land.  But the kids were needy, so I decided we should distract them and keep them busy to pass the time.  Some child complained of hunger, so I announced we’d have a snacky dinner.  The kids gathered around sitting on the floor while Susan and I pulled out all the snacks we had.  Our snacky dinner consisted of pop tarts, cashews, raisins, and some dry cereal.  We prayed, thanking God for taking care of us, and asking him to continue to protect us all.  The kids started munching, but Susan and I didn’t have an appetite. 

 I got a call from Gunnar Johnson.  He’s a friend and also already outside Galena.  He was offering to send a plane from the valley, the Wasilla area, to get us.  I said, “Yes!  We’re ready now.  Send the plane.” He explained all the details.  The plane could be ready to fly in an hour’s time from when Gunnar said go.  The plane would take about 2 ½ hours to fly to Galena.  I was relieved at that point to know that someone was planning to come.  Gunnar also said there were more seats available, were there any other people with me that would want to travel out with me?  I asked Susan if she wanted to travel with me.  She said yes.  We discussed where we might be going and it was explained that the pilots needed to eventually return to the valley, but they could take us to Ruby, Nenana, Fairbanks, or the valley.  For me, the where wasn’t the most important factor.  I just wanted to know that we could get out.  I figured wherever we ended up God would have someone there that could help us out.  Gunnar said there were still more seats.  Of course, I knew there were about 60 women and children who all needed to get out.  But, I can’t imagine just asking someone at random. I wished there was a way we could all get out together.  I stepped outside our dorm room while we were still on the phone and looked down the hall.  I saw my friend, Tabitha, with her two boys, Kaden and Isaiah.  I ran down the long hall to tell her I was on the phone with Gunnar who was trying to coordinate flights to get people out.  I asked her if she wanted to go with us.  I passed the phone to Tabitha so that Gunnar could explain everything, and then I talked with Gunnar again while Tabitha called Keith to discuss what she should do.  Keith was planning to stay like most men, and was back at the school.  Tabitha and Keith decided she and the boys should go with us, and after we confirmed with Gunnar, I invited Tabitha and the boys to come hang out with us in our room.  The kids were all excited to see each other and Kaden and Isaiah were happy to join the snacky dinner.  The next few hours of waiting are now a little blurry.  I remember we played games with the kids.  We played Simon Says and the Quiet game.  Our games even attracted a couple of extra kids.  Eventually we all got so tired we let them watch cartoons on Susan’s tablet.  

We were constantly checking the window to see how things were changing at the river and at the airport.   The ice wasn’t moving.  The dike was holding.  The bus was zooming very fast on the dike road, then down a hill and across the air strip instead of all the way around.  It carried more women and children.  The number of women and children waiting at the airport was growing.  We saw no planes.  We got Susan’s camera out to use the lens to see if we could identify any people, but we couldn’t.  Also, during this waiting time, we heard of a sign up downstairs for a flight to Anchorage.  We had heard this two other times since arriving at the airport, and I didn’t trust that it would do any good.  We heard reports that there were MREs downstairs, and this was true.  We got some and fed the kids some, but we still had no appetite.  I remember I got a lot of phone calls during this time.  Gunnar and Adrian called to update me on our pilots’ arrival time.  We were told to expect two planes, and given details so that we’d be able to identify the planes as they came in.  Gunnar wanted confirmation that water was not over the dike because he had gotten word that it was.  If the air strip got water over it, that would have been the end of our rescue by planes.  Someone else called to tell me two C 130s, very large military planes, would be coming out.  I thought this was great.  Others from town called for an update.  Some had questions I couldn’t answer.  I asked everyone that called to pray that the dike would hold.  The waiting was terrifying.  I just couldn’t understand why our community wasn’t being rescued from such a dangerous situation.  We had fled to the ‘high ground’, and nearly all the women and children left in town were at the ‘high ground’.  The ‘high ground’ didn’t appear to be very safe with water surrounding it and icebergs pressing into it on one side.  Inside the dike it is shaped like a bowl.  I continued to pray and wait.  I talked to Kim, my sister in law, again, and as I told her I was trying to keep it all together, she told me some words of comfort “Just know that there are at least 250 people praying for those in Galena right now, probably more.”  This was comforting, and I felt like I could pause to take a deep breath and clear my head momentarily.  

At 10:20 we decided it was time to move again.  We cleaned up our room, grabbed our bags, and marched the kids outside.  They were glad to be free to run around for a bit.  Clint fell on the gravel and cut his knee.  Susan actually had a band aid, and we got it mostly covered with it.  We wanted to go ahead and walk over to the airport so we’d be there early.  Our plane was expected at 11:00.  It wasn’t too long of a walk, but we were all tired and carrying our bags, and herding kids so we took our time getting over there.  Lots of people were waiting in the airport parking lot.  I was so glad to see their faces.  My boys were excited to see some of their friends were okay too.  We talked to Shawn, and he told us to stick together and be ready to board our plane as soon as it lands.  We saw Myra and Romay Harris and enjoyed talking with them while we waited.  We gave big hugs because we were so glad to see they were okay.  We heard talk of a weak point in the dike and I see Celia again.  She must have moved her post from the school to here.  She announced that because of the concern about the dike they were wanting to make short trips by plane to Ruby, the nearest village, to get as many people out of immediate danger as possible.  

I knew that our evacuation was so close, but I felt so fearful for the safety of the rest of the community people.  We continuously reigned the kids in.  But soon our wait was over.  We heard and then saw two planes that met the exact description Adrian had given.  Shawn motioned for us to come out to meet the planes as they pulled in.  We greeted our pilots and confirmed that we were in fact the right passengers that were arranged for this flight.  The pilots tell us which plane we were going to be riding in.  Then there was a short discussion about our destination.  Possibilities included Wasilla, Ruby, Nenana, and Fairbanks.  Tabby, Susan, and I had all agreed previously that we thought Fairbanks would be the best.  Susan has family she could stay with.  Tabby has a vehicle there, and my friend Debbie had already said my family could stay at her place.  We also were hoping if our husbands decided to evacuate that they’d most likely go to Fairbanks.  So our pilots began to load our small bags and give instruction on where we would sit. The kids and I were going to fly with Ray Johnson, and we had flown with him about 2 years previously.  About that time another missionary plane landed.  It was Adam White, a friend and missionary from Nenana (near Fairbanks).  As soon as he was out of his plane I hugged him and told him I was so glad to see him.  He told me it was going to be okay, and they were going to get us out of there.  He told me he was hoping to have Jason, Kaylin, and Daniel, as some of his passengers.  But I told him I hadn’t talked to them in a while.  They hadn’t gotten to the airport as far as I knew.  I did know they were traveling by boat, and that they were the farthest away from the airport because they were coming from their house which is at the opposite end of town.  We were able to make contact with Kaylin on her phone, and Adam spoke with her about when they might make it to the airport.  Kaylin told him they had just left their house and it would be a while before they would be able to get through.  Adam said he would wait.  Another plane landed, and this time it was a large Era plane.  People began cheering at the sight of 4 planes on the ground.  Things were beginning to look up.  Before we knew it we were situated on the plane and ready for take-off.   I continued to pray for all the people still on the ground in Galena.  It was a bittersweet departure.  I was so glad we were leaving, but so sad for those not out of harm’s way.  As soon as we were in the air, I was more than shocked to see how far the water exceeded the river bank.  Every building in Galena was an island.  It was a complete disaster.  As terrifying as our day had been, this was probably the worst part.  The kids and I were safely in the air, but Chris was still on the ground.  Our dogs were left behind.  So many people that we love were down there.

  With the hum of the engine in our ears, the kids were nearly instantly asleep.  They finally let their little bodies relax after a traumatic day.  Our flight time was estimated at about 2 hours.  We stopped once in Manley Hot Springs so the pilot could put fuel in the plane.  Then we were back up and on our way.  It was great to get on the ground in Fairbanks.  Tim’s plane had landed before us and my evacuee buddies were on the ground to greet us as soon as we landed.  Also, my friend, Debbie Seeger and a friend of hers were there to pick us up and deliver our weary bodies to beds.  Susan and Laila caught a ride to her in laws’ house.  We hugged and thanked the pilots who rescued us and then Tabby and I were transported to Debbie’s for the night. I texted my moms to let them know we made it, and that Chris was still in Galena. I remember as soon as we got to Debbie’s we got a big drink of cold, fresh water and then said good night.  The kids fell asleep pretty easily, but it took me a long time to settle.  Word was passed around from Chris to get to me that he was planning to get evacuated.  I also heard that after we left Galena, Samaritan’s Purse and Missionary Aviation and Repair Center (MARC) flew in 4 of their large planes and were making multiple trips to get as many people out as possible.  Chris ended up flying out on one of these planes, and I had heard he would only make it to Ruby that night, and he’d fly to Fairbanks the next morning.  So I rested in bed, but I definitely did no sleeping on that night.  Around 5 am I heard footsteps in the hall and sat up to see who it was.  It was Chris! Oh, how glad I was to see him!  We talked for just a while and then he settled in a sleeping bag and we both slept.  It was a short sleep, but better than nothing.  The next morning I found out Keith had also arrived during the night, much to Tabitha’s delight.  The morning brought other good news.  Many people had been evacuated and most of the flights were made by missionary pilots.  Wow!  

The church where Debbie and her family serve, Fairhill Community Church of God, also has a Christian school right next to it.  When Debbie found out we were evacuating, she offered if I knew of others who needed somewhere to stay, the school would be available.  So, first thing the next morning we headed over to hug our friends’ necks that had arrived during the early morning hours.  Kaylin and Daniel were there, but Jason had stayed to help others.  Our friend Wendy and her daughters, Aubrey, Mackenzie, and Marina, were there, but Ross had stayed.  Our friends Jeremy and Keilah were there.  We were so glad they were safe.  The church offered us food to cook as needed from their food pantry, air mattresses, and anything we needed.  Laundry soap, shampoo, toothpaste, towels.  We were so thankful to have them taking care of us.  It was overwhelming to know God was taking care of all our needs, and he was using the church family to do it.  We listed our clothing needs, and clothes began pouring in.  We needed car seats, and they soon arrived.  Cara even received a dress that was exactly the same as her favorite we had left behind.  God cares for us, even in the little things.

Wednesday May 29th

We heard things were getting worse in Galena.  The river was still jammed.  Waters were rising.  Water began going over the dike, but the hardworking people of Galena began building up the dike with gravel and trucks that were there.  We prayed.  We heard the two C-130 planes were going to Galena to get the rest of the people out.  This time, it was true.  The first time I heard it, prior to our evacuation, it never happened.  Then we heard when it was expected to arrive in Fairbanks and that they would need help transporting people and dogs.  Everyone was excited to see who would be on the plane, and most of us at the school that had vehicles decided to go to the airport to help.  Sam and Maggie were on that plane, as well as Ross Tulloch.  His family was thrilled to see him.  Greg Moyer, Galena City Manager made sure our dogs got on the plane.  Much thanks to him.  We were sad to find out Jason had stayed.   

The next couple of days we were trying to wrap our minds around what had just happened the last few days.  There were meetings with Red Cross and all kinds of errands to take care of.  The jam did finally break at around 8pm Thursday May 30^th.  Our little family at the school took care of each other.  We shared meals together, shared parenting and child care, and shared all our stuff.  It was so wonderful to work as a family unit and support each other.  

And I can tell you this; our evacuation was nothing less than a series of miracles.  If God had decided it was our time to go, we’d be gone.  But he didn’t.  He’s still got a plan for us, and for those who live and serve in Galena.  Rebuilding is going to be hard, but we have already seen his blessing in it.  Many families are separated, like ours.  Chris is back in Galena and working hard to make it safe for us to return.  He’s also directing volunteers on the ground.  We’ve seen God’s hand moving among His people to serve Galena in this rebuilding phase.  And I know we will continue to see His leading and working among us.  He’s not finished with Galena yet.