10 Ways To Help Washington Families Affected By Chehalis Flooding

WASHINGTON — The waters are receding, the passes are being cleared, but last week's heavy weather will leave a lingering impact on many families living along the Chehalis River.

As rain poured down across Washington late last week, the Chehalis saw record-breaking flooding as water overflowed the river's bounds, wreaking havoc on a number of small communities. 20 miles of I-5 were briefly closed as river water approached the freeway. One man died, and another has been missing for several days, KIRO reported.

Flooding peaked around midday Saturday and has since declined, but many residents are still feeling left in the lurch, scrambling to repair damaged homes and livelihoods. To help out, several online fundraisers have sprung up to support those families struggling in the wake of the storm.

GoFundMe shared a list of nearly a dozen such fundraisers Monday, and the community outpouring of help was already apparent after just a few hours.

Here are 10 ways to help out, from GoFundMe:

Flood Help for Tripp and Corrina Jones: Fundraiser organizer Michael Caulk says his friends, Tripp and Corrina Jones, just closed on their dream home a little over a week ago. Unfortunately, after buying the home it was severely damaged by the flooding— and flood insurance hadn't kicked in yet.

Flooding of Black Heart Farm: The Black Heart Farm, home to two families with ten children, was severely damaged in the flooding. Some of the farm animals were even trapped by the raising floodwater. Over $1,500 has already been contributed.

Help Joey and His Family Rebuild Their Farm: Kamry Aebersold set up this fundraiser to support her coworker Joey, whose property was flooded. According to Aebersold, Joey's family lives off the land and need the community's support to get their farm back into shape.

Help our family fix flood damage and move: The Vanover family says the recent weather event set them behind on most of their bills, and at the worst possible time: they're set to move in the next two months, and need all the support they can get.

Emergency flood relief: James Roberts set up this fundraiser for his daughter and her father, who were forced to evacuate their home amid the flooding. The fundraiser aims to raise $500 to secure a pump and pump out the remaining water, and pay for a place to stay while the house is cleared.

Our house flooded: Kylaena Davenport says the recent flooding came on quick, destroying their furniture, dryer, and everything else stored in their basement. Her family's rental insurance does not cover flooding, so they've set up a fundraiser to help buy a new dryer, and heaters to keep the home warm while they work through the repairs.

Flood cleanup: Flooding wasn't limited to just Chehalis proper. Katie Foster says her Aberdeen home suffered significant damage in the flooding, damaging the foundation and even sweeping away her chicken coop. Fortunately, the chickens were unharmed, but Foster says her family will need extra money to buy new sheet rock and insulation and patch up the damages. Nearly $1,500 has already been contributed.

Help Peris and family recover from flood disaster: Peris and her children escaped the flooding unharmed, but lost their car, furniture, and several antiques to the floodwaters. A friend has set up this fundraiser to hopefully buy them a new vehicle and cover moving costs for the family.

Help with our stay :)): Bailie Morton and her family had to evacuate their home as it was overtaken by flooding. They're staying in a hotel while they wait on the Red Cross' assistance, but need the community's help to pay for the hotel while they try to get back on their feet.

Me and my family lost everything in a flood: Kohl Morton says he and his family lost everything in the flood, and have set up a fundraiser to buy food, clothes, and a place to stay while they recover.

Editor's Note: Patch is a GoFundMe promotional partner. Patch Editor Lucas Combos contributed to this report.