On Monday, anxiety had turned to gratitude for Maria Otting and Thomas Koppel.

害羞草研究所淚t was really like angels came to help us,害羞草研究所� said Otting Monday, her voice catching with emotion.

She is referring to all the people who came to help save her family害羞草研究所檚 home in Silver Creek, which was overwhelmed by the high water of the adjacent Salmon River.

It all began Friday evening when a neighbour called to let them know water was coming into their back field.

害羞草研究所淲e didn害羞草研究所檛 realize how bad it was going to be,害羞草研究所� Otting says, explaining that they raced up to the Silver Creek Fire Hall to fill sand bags. Although they害羞草研究所檇 picked up some the week before, they really didn害羞草研究所檛 expect to have to use them.

Coming back, they put up a wall, but realized, 害羞草研究所淥h my goodness, this is coming really fast.害羞草研究所�

It all happened within a couple of hours, she says.

They kept sandbagging till one in the morning, hoping it would hold.

However, when they looked out at 5 a.m., their entire front yard 害羞草研究所� in the 500 block of Salmon River Road - was flooded, like a lake.

害羞草研究所淭he flower boxes were floating and it was starting to come into the house,害羞草研究所� Otting says, explaining their storage room was filled with water.

She turned to the Internet, asking for help via websites such as Shuswap Everything Friendly Goes, Salmon Arm Buy and Sell and her own Facebook page.

害羞草研究所淲e were just panicking.害羞草研究所�

She explains that her extended family lives with them, so they were all in the same predicament.

But the community quickly responded, with people bringing equipment, truckloads of sand and help galore.

One man who she didn害羞草研究所檛 know had posted that if anyone needed help, just ask. He was true to his word.

One friend brought five young Mennonite men, 害羞草研究所渨ho worked like horses.害羞草研究所�

Even a friend who restores fire trucks brought a pumper, but it got stuck in their yard when a bank gave way. Getting it out was another project altogether.

Otting recites a long list of people who came to help.

害羞草研究所淩eally, just the people coming together is the overwhelming moral of this story. This community is just amazing, Everyone helps each other and cares about each other.害羞草研究所�

Their barns are full of things they害羞草研究所檒l lose, but Otting views it philosophically. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 just stuff, it can be replaced. We will have to have a big throwing-out party.害羞草研究所�

She said they害羞草研究所檙e running a dehumidifier in the house, are bleaching and cleaning now and will have to replace drywall.

Compared to what some people have been going through, she feels lucky.

害羞草研究所淲ith the devastation over the whole area, I feel more of a fortunate person with minor damage. I害羞草研究所檓 praying everybody has help.害羞草研究所�

Otting notes that a person who stores a boat at their place is now stuck on the other side of the Sunnybrae landslide. The owner was hoping to get their boat in order to escape via lake, but there害羞草研究所檚 no way to get to it in its now-flooded location.

Otting says her family害羞草研究所檚 concern now is the possibility of more rain and nearby bridges getting jammed.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e keeping the sandbags everywhere and praying no log jams.害羞草研究所�

She again expresses her gratitude.

In Silver Creek, she says, 害羞草研究所淓verybody just shares around here, that害羞草研究所檚 how everybody is. It害羞草研究所檚 incredible, it害羞草研究所檚 how it should be, it害羞草研究所檚 like the olden days. Over everything, this is what shines through.害羞草研究所�

Next door, Gary and Alice Hucul have been working nearly round the clock dealing with the pond in their backyard and water seeping into their basement.

Their work, too, started on Friday, when they put up a sand berm to stop the water.

害羞草研究所淲e thought we had everything under control,害羞草研究所� Alice says. 害羞草研究所淲e added a few more sand bags to be safe.害羞草研究所�

About 3 a.m. they thought they害羞草研究所檇 do one more check before they went to bed. But sleep was about to become a scarce commodity.

害羞草研究所淭here was water in the basement, the water table had come up so high.害羞草研究所�

Saturday afternoon a throng of people was helping to sandbag.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a great group of friends and people we害羞草研究所檝e never met before,害羞草研究所� smiled Alice.

With Gary in his chest waders, an old hot tub was being used to ferry sandbags over to a far fence.

Pumps and hoses were taking water across the road.

Alice, a longtime resident, said she hasn害羞草研究所檛 seen water like this at their place for 28 or 29 years.

害羞草研究所淓ven then it wasn害羞草研究所檛 this bad. There害羞草研究所檚 way more water this time害羞草研究所� I害羞草研究所檓 sure it was really brought on by that storm (Thursday night).害羞草研究所�