After terrifying flood, West Virginia family looks forward to a new beginning
WESTON, W.Va. — It was a day in July that Letitia Lowther will never forget. She was preparing dinner when she looked out her back window and noticed something she’d never seen before. A small creek beyond the field behind her home had risen dramatically. Then, suddenly, a neighbor’s outbuilding came floating past.
Within minutes, the unthinkable was happening.
Floodwaters rushed toward the home she shared with her husband, Billy, and their family. What began as an effort to move vehicles and gather a few belongings quickly became a desperate struggle to survive.
As the water rose, Letitia found herself fighting a powerful current while carrying a neighbor’s 1-year-old child. Her 16-year-old daughter was beside her.
“She looked back at me, and she says, ‘Mommy, I don’t think we’re gonna make it,'” Letitia recalled. “And at that point, I was like, ‘We have to make it. We have to make it.'”
With water reaching her chest and the baby’s head barely above the surface, Letitia could no longer make progress against the current. That’s when Billy appeared, took the baby and helped pull Letitia and her daughter to safety.
But Billy wasn’t finished. He returned to help rescue neighbors and pets trapped by the rapidly rising water.
Everyone survived, but the Lowthers’ home did not.
The flood left their mobile home uninhabitable and destroyed countless possessions, including treasured family keepsakes. Among the most painful losses were handwritten recipes, notes and other mementos from Letitia’s grandmother, whom she described as her best friend. Her son later managed to salvage many of those precious papers.
“There’s stuff you can’t replace, you know?” Letitia said. “That’s the hardest part.”
Since the July flooding, Billy and Letitia have been living in a donated camper on family property near Weston, making do with temporary accommodations that include a makeshift outdoor shower. They have received no insurance or FEMA funds to replace their home.
But thanks to The Fuller Center Disaster ReBuilders, their next chapter is about to begin.
During the first two weeks of November, Disaster ReBuilders volunteers will gather in West Virginia for a special blitz build to construct a new home for the Lowther family. It is scheduled to be dedicated on November 13.
The project is about more than rebuilding after a disaster. It is also a celebration of extraordinary volunteer service and a tribute to a beloved member of the Disaster ReBuilders family.
The build will honor Mike Bultemeier, who has participated in more than 50 mission trips over the past 20 years, and will be dedicated to the memory of his friend and fellow volunteer Scott Dewalt, who passed away in July. The two worked side by side on numerous builds, helping families recover from disasters and rebuild their lives.
Now, as volunteers come together to build a new home for the Lowthers, that shared legacy of service will continue.
For the Lowthers, the new home will represent both stability and a return to family roots.
The house will be built on property that has been in Billy’s family for generations, next door to his mother and brother. Living there will allow Billy to help care for them while providing a permanent home for his own family.
Letitia is a registered nurse, while Bill has been a pipe tester in the oil and gas industry, working part-time due to a medical condition. Like so many disaster survivors, they have worked to rebuild their lives while facing circumstances far beyond their control.
Now, volunteers are preparing to give them something they desperately need: a fresh start.
The Lowthers know how quickly life can change. They also know how much it means when neighbors step forward to help one another.
For Letitia, the memories of that terrifying day remain vivid, especially the moment she feared she might lose her daughter and the baby in her arms.
“We made it,” she said. “We made it.”
Now, with the help of Disaster ReBuilders volunteers and generous supporters, the Lowthers have a chance to do more than survive.
They have a chance to come home.
Help build a new beginning in West Virginia
Volunteer capacity for the build is limited, but there are a few slots available for the second week of the build. Contact Volunteer Scheduler Lyn Wilson, at 346-763-7499 for more information.
The Fuller Center Disaster ReBuilders are seeking financial support to cover the cost of building the Lowther family’s new home. With no insurance or FEMA assistance available to the family for rebuilding, donations will be essential to making this project possible.
Your gift can help turn a family’s devastating loss into a new beginning — while honoring the remarkable service of volunteers who have dedicated so much of their lives to helping others.
One Comment
So happy and thankful for those kind hearts to help those in need! So sorry for their losses and many prayers for those in need and those who help! Thank u for your help! May God bless u always!!