“Like another world”

A nineteenth century house stands two storeys high on the banks of the Winooski River. Numa Haase, the homeowner of nearly four decades, always wanted to live on a river.

“[When] you go down to the river, you don’t hear the noise of the street. It’s just like another world,” explained Numa, who found his ideal combination of nature and city in the Montpelier, Vermont, home.

His idyllic homebase has come with a cost though. The house’s water level is the same as the river’s. It has withstood at least ten floods over its lifetime. Last July, the house was hit by Vermont’s second biggest flood of the century, cresting at 21 feet/6.4 metres in Montpelier.

“Usually, the water level is down… When it floods, it gets into the basement… It goes out the same way it came in, but [last July] it kept coming higher and higher and higher,” recalled Numa.

By the eve of the flood, he had food and water provisions ready on the second floor. The flood waters were 6 feet/1.8 metres below the main floor when Numa, his 25-year-old daughter and three-year-old granddaughter went to bed on July 10, 2023. They woke up to 2 feet/0.6 metres of water on the house’s main floor the next morning.

Numa’s daughter, Citlalli Haase, and granddaughter, Laneyah Haase, were rescued by canoe. The toddler watched in anticipation of her first canoe ride as a friend paddled the boat up to the family’s porch. Numa resolved to wait the flood out at home. He watched neighbours kayak down the “Elm Street River,” the “Main Street River” and past the State House on “State Street River.” It was a lot to take in.

Numa’s wife, Georgina Haase, was out of state at the time. She returned to a home muddied with debris and soiled belongings a few days later. The cleanup and home repairs were daunting.

“I was ready to give up on our house,” she said.

Local volunteers and friends helped Numa and Georgina with the initial cleanup, but a long list of home repairs remained. In spring, Georgina received a call from Hope Coalition, a local collaboration of faith and business communities, organized to help those affected by the July 2023 flood.

Hope Coalition referred the Haase family to Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS). Since April, MDS volunteers have replaced drywall and floorboards, painted, upgraded plumbing and more.

“I can’t express how grateful I am,” said Georgina, who ensures a ready supply of snacks and drinks for the volunteers.

The couple looks forward to having a home to host their children and grandchildren in again — and a working shower.

“I’m just really impressed and touched… that these people would do this. I think it’s just such a wonderful thing,” reflected Numa.

While the couple lives with an ongoing risk of flooding, Numa is convinced that the house’s advantages outweigh its drawbacks: a personal oasis in a community-minded city they couldn’t imagine leaving.

Nikki Hamm Gwala, MDS Canada Communications