GLADSTONE, Illinois -
One year ago today, residents of Gladstone, Illinois were preparing for the historic flood of 2008. Early that morning a levee broke in Gulfport, just up the road. As the water moved inland it immersed homes and farmland in the low lying areas of Gladstone. News 8's Chris Williams returned a year later to check in on a family who took us into the devastation.
The Torrance family took is into the flood zone within 24 hours of the water rushing in and what we saw broke their hearts.
"All of her flowers were blooming yesterday, she had a beautiful garden. We had a picinic. We were laughing and talking", Rebecca Anderson told us then as we motored in the water over the farm. Back then she worried about her late-mother's garden.
A basketball hoop perched inches above the water on the eves of the old Torrance homestead that day, today it rests on the ground next to other items the family salvaged from the home.
"Oh, I think Dad thought maybe some of the grandkids might want to put it up, but so far no takers", said Stanley Torrance as he gave us a tour today.
The home is rubble now. Damaged beyond repair, they razed the property 3 weeks ago.
Stanley explained, "Dad just got a little fed up with looking at it, I guess you might say."
I asked, "How is your dad doing?"
Torrance answered, "Oh, pretty good health-wise. It's the rules and regulations are a little harder for an older person to keep up with and it seemed like they would make a rule and change a rule on how things qualify for certain help and it's a little trying for him."
"It's not too bad now. It really changed when I pushed in the house. That was kind of hard for a while but then it just became another place to crush with a dozer you might say."
Stanley works the land here where is father once farmed. His Dad moved to higher ground and is looking towards the future. Stanley is still getting used to this drastically changed scenery.
I asked Stanley, "Have you seen the flowers? Have the flowers come back?"
He answered, "No. Nothing's really come back. It's kind of back to normal, farm-wise but home-wise it's never gonna be home again."
The Torrance family took is into the flood zone within 24 hours of the water rushing in and what we saw broke their hearts.
"All of her flowers were blooming yesterday, she had a beautiful garden. We had a picinic. We were laughing and talking", Rebecca Anderson told us then as we motored in the water over the farm. Back then she worried about her late-mother's garden.
A basketball hoop perched inches above the water on the eves of the old Torrance homestead that day, today it rests on the ground next to other items the family salvaged from the home.
"Oh, I think Dad thought maybe some of the grandkids might want to put it up, but so far no takers", said Stanley Torrance as he gave us a tour today.
The home is rubble now. Damaged beyond repair, they razed the property 3 weeks ago.
Stanley explained, "Dad just got a little fed up with looking at it, I guess you might say."
I asked, "How is your dad doing?"
Torrance answered, "Oh, pretty good health-wise. It's the rules and regulations are a little harder for an older person to keep up with and it seemed like they would make a rule and change a rule on how things qualify for certain help and it's a little trying for him."
"It's not too bad now. It really changed when I pushed in the house. That was kind of hard for a while but then it just became another place to crush with a dozer you might say."
Stanley works the land here where is father once farmed. His Dad moved to higher ground and is looking towards the future. Stanley is still getting used to this drastically changed scenery.
I asked Stanley, "Have you seen the flowers? Have the flowers come back?"
He answered, "No. Nothing's really come back. It's kind of back to normal, farm-wise but home-wise it's never gonna be home again."
