Mississippi towns recovering from Isaac

JACKSON COUNTY, Miss. (WALA) - It's been one week since Hurricane Isaac made land fall, some families in a small Mississippi community continue to clean up after him.

Residents of Helena, Mississippi were victims of flash flooding, caused by heavy rain from Isaac and the town's geographic location between two rivers.

“We noticed the water come up, and then it sort of got deeper and deeper,” said Robin Poppenhouse.

Poppenhouse said her family has lived off Coda Road since 1985, flooding rose to about three or four feet on her property and in her home.

“It was unlivable, it was past our knees walking in it. The floors were floating and hitting our knees,” said Poppenhouse.

Today Poppenhouse and her husband finished gutting their home, removing drywall and insulation.

“We're just going to rebuild and hope for the best, but you never know living in an area like,” said Robin Poppenhouse

They lost some sentimental items like their daughters childhood photos, family antiques, but they live to remember them.

Friends and co-workers helped the clean-up effort.

“Out here in this community we help each other. We pull up our bootstraps and we go to it,” said Poppenhouse.

Further down Coda, flood water spared another family’s home, but their storage shed and one vehicle, weren’t so lucky.

 “It just barely stopped from getting in our house, thank God,” said Juston Hicks. 

Hicks and his family were rescued by the National Guard; he said he was scared even during the rescue effort.

“I've never been in a flood situation before, I didn't know how fast the water was going to get up, I had my little girl with me and I didn't know the danger in it,” said Hicks.

But not all life was spared in Helena.

“We had some chickens die and we had a Great Dane puppy that got killed,” said Hicks.

Officials said  more than 600 people were rescued from Jackson County.

FEMA has set up disaster relief centers throughout Mississippi; visit their website for more information about how to register as a storm victim.