Register Staff

7-19-2008

As residents of Oak Creek and Fort Independence continue to pick up the pieces after last weekend’s flash flood and mud slide, a number of local organizations are offering relief in the form of fresh water, food and even housing assistance.
In addition, efforts to raise funds for those whose lives have been turned upside down by the flooding have been forthcoming from a variety of sources.
Members of the Seven Pines Cabin Owners Association, for example, were eager earlier this week to find a way to contribute to any sort of relief fund for their part-time neighbors.

This home, like so many others affected by last week’s flooding in Independence, is uninhabitable due to debris and mud that washed through its doors and windows. Renters assistance, as well as food and clothes, are now available for those displaced by the flood. Photo courtesy Carma Roper, Inyo County Sheriff’s Department

“Once again we feel like we’ve dodged a bullet,” said association president M.L. Taylor. “Last year it was the fires and this year it was the mudslide … We just want to make sure we support the community in any way we can.”
Stepping up to supplement the efforts being coordinated by the Independence Civic Club and other groups were two seemingly unlikely community advocates on Friday.
Not even in their teens yet, Noa Mine Lush and Hayden Stamy came up with the idea for and organized a benefit sale on the lawn of the Inyo County Courthouse in Independence yesterday that, by most accounts, was a modest success.
Stamy, a native of London, England, was visiting her godmother, Claiborne Mitchell, when the flash flood struck last Saturday. Mitchell’s Oak Creek home, a place Stamy had enjoyed visiting on summer vacations in the past, was one of the 25 structures destroyed in the mudslide.
According to Mitchell, one of the first things her goddaughter said after the flooding was that they needed to do something “to help the community.”
“Helping out” was one of the most common reactions among residents and visitors, and now assistance is available in a variety of sources, from various entities.
Following are some of the resources available to the residents left homeless or otherwise displaced by last week’s disaster.
Independence Store
The Salvation Army, with assistance of the Department of Water and Power, has organized a center where people directly impacted by the flood can select items such as clothing, furniture and small appliances to help them get back on their feet. The center is located directly opposite the courthouse on U.S. 395. 
Red Cross
The Red Cross is currently meeting with persons affected by the Flood at the Health Department in Independence, and can assist people with food, clothing, shelter, or special needs. For more information, call Peter Kohn at (323) 356-3988.
Bottled Water
Drinking water for those displaced by the flood is available by calling Terri Sutton at (760) 920-0962.
Rental Coordination
Many people have been displaced by the flood, and are seeking permanent housing, and the community is being asked to help identify possible living quarters for those effected by the flood.
Anyone who has a house or apartment to rent, or knows of potential rentals, is asked to call Mary Roper at (760) 878-2046 pr Nancy Masters at (760) 878-2053, or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
The rental list will be posted on the Civic Club Showcase next to the Post Office and at the Salvation Army Store in Independence.
Flood Relief Fund
The Independence Civic Club is accepting monetary donations to assist people whose homes have been destroyed or damaged in the flood. 
Those who wish to donate to the fund can send a check to the Independence Civic Club; ATTN:  Flood Relief Fund, P.O. Box 482, Independence, CA  93526.