Members and Friends of the Society,

Friday evening, August 31, there was severe flooding at Muddy Creek Forks. The store basement was completely flooded and at the height of the flood water was 6" over the floor of the mill. The store basement has been pumped out, but the floor and everything in the basement is covered with a thick layer of mud. The Repair Shop is in total shambles, as water was above the level of the sink. There is a great deal of erosion around the store and in the field, and our large sign with map of the village washed away. We have not yet assessed track damage, but we have been told that the track is washed off the right of way in several locations.

We are going to need a great deal of help to recover from this natural disaster. We will begin the cleanup on Monday, Sept. 3. We will start work at 9 a.m. Please come out to help if you can. Bring friends and neighbors if you know anyone else willing to help.

Be aware that everything is covered in slippery mud, so dress accordingly. Bring lunch. We will need lots of wheelbarrows and shovels. We have one power washer at MCF, but a second one would probably be helpful. Big floor squeegees, brooms, rakes, buckets, cleaning brushes, rags, and small gas powered pumps might also be useful.

Obviously we cannot begin to do all these things in one day. What we tackle will depend on how many people we have and what their capabilities are.

PLEASE COME OUT TO HELP. This is not a job that can be done by a few. All of our operations for this weekend have been cancelled, and only by working together can we get ready to welcome visitors again before Heritage Day.