To the Editor:

Many residents in the Waverly-Broad Street neighborhood are grateful to the firefighters from Potsdam, Canton, West Stockholm, Fort Jackson, and Madrid-Waddington (our apologies to any company we have not mentioned) who bailed us out of the flood on the night of Thursday, Sept. 30.

Many of our homes were flooded within a very short period of time. Some of our basements were flooded to the point of risking fire or electrocution. And, because the flood was so sudden, informed decisions needed to be acted upon quickly lest lives would be in danger.

The firefighters were organized, efficient, knowledgeable, and polite. Throughout the evening, they maintained a wonderful sense of humor that provided much needed comic relief to us all. I don’t know what we would have done without their help.

We would also like to thank the Brothers of Omicron Pi Omicron. On the night of the flood they quickly responded to a call for help to rescue one of our families (with a newborn) from their home just prior to dangerous flooding stages.

The next evening they informed all of our neighbors about their availability to serve the community. They helped one family rebuild stairs and a window; they helped another family for three hours clean out its basement. They were polite, knowledgeable, prompt, and skilled. They are truly deserving of respect from the community for their admirable willingness to serve others in need.

Lynn Hall, on behalf of the Hall-Smith, Wheeler, and Rygel families

Potsdam