IT STARTED RAINING MANY

JOHN AND

BARBARA NICHOLS AND THEIR TWO

SONS

LIVED IN THE PENSACOLA HOME

FOR EIGHT

8 YEARS EIGHT -- FELT PLENTY

OF

STORMS BUT SOON THE WATER

CAME IN AND

THE WATER WAS DEEPER AND

DEEPER.

I TURNED AROUND IT WAS 3

FOOT -FOOT

AND THEN ABOUT SIX FOOT.

6-FOOT. IT

WAS TERRIFYING.

WITH SIX 6 FEET OF WATER

AND MORE

COMING IN, THEY SEEK SHELTER

IN THE

ATTIC.

I SAID, JOHN, I CAN'T STAY

HERE. I

HAVE ASTHMA. WHAT HAPPENS

WHEN THE

WATER RISES, I CAN'T GET OUT.

I TOLD MY WIFE, SHE WAS

AFRAID SHE

WAS GOING TO DROWN. I TOLD

HER I GOT

YOU UP HERE, I'M GETTING YOU

OUT OF

HERE.

THEY WERE RESCUED BY BOAT

AND

NOTHING COULD HAVE PREPARED

THEM FOR

WHAT THEY SAW THE NEXT DAY.

IT WAS A DISASTER AREA, A

WAR ZONE.

EVERYTHING IN SHAMBLES. WE

LOST

EVERYTHING. THE CURRENT WAS

SO

STRONG, IT TOOK EVERYTHING

OUT OF THE

HOUSE. WE HAD NOTHING.

WITH NO FLOOD INSURANCE

AND NO

EXTRA MONEY TO PAY FOR HELP,

THE

NICHOLS GOT TO WORK TO

SALVAGE THEIR

BELONGINGS AND AFTER SEVERAL

DAYS THEY

WERE EXHAUSTED.

IT WAS MORE THAN WE CAN

HANDLE AND

WE WERE ABSOLUTELY EXHAUSTED

TO THE

POINT WHERE I DON'T THINK WE

COULD

HAVE GONE ANOTHER DAY.

THAT'S WHERE "OPERATION

BLESSING"

ARRIVED WITH A TEAM OF

VOLUNTEERS TO

REPAIR THEIR DRYWALL AND

CLEAN UP

THEIR HOME, ALL FREE OF

CHARGE.

"OPERATION BLESSING"

HELPED US. WE

WOULD HAVE GIVEN UP IF IT

WEREN'T FOR