OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Tuesday marks the second time that Rabbi Mendy Wineberg has had to deal with flooding at the Chabad House Center of Kansas City.
“Pretty much everything within 2 feet of the floor was up and moving around floating — you got that paint bucket that's upside down — this was all stuff that we were doing right now to get the place back in shape,” Rabbi Wineberg told 41 Action News.
Some would say the Chabad house can’t seem to get a break.
“Whatever we were able to salvage last time is now gone,” Rabbi Wineberg said.
Last month he was finalizing preps for the preschool at the Chabad house. But then the flood on July 27 sent almost half a foot of water into the building that sits next to Indian Creek.
“We have never flooded here before in the 29 years that we've been here so we felt like we were kind of safe. We came back in the morning we saw the water had hit the walls and we realize that we would have to start over,” Rabbi Wineberg said.
The community pitched in to rebuild logging more than 500 volunteer hours to get the space back in shape.
“I said at the time that was the silver lining in the clouds — just the amount of community support — but like we had the silver lining, then since this flood was about four times as bad, I'm sure that we're going to find a platinum lining this time around,” Rabbi Wineberg quipped.
He said the overnight flood waters were nearly two feet deep.
“Lots of new supplies that we just got in, that we put in right now, that was floating around and ruined,” Rabbi Wineberg said.
He has found a temporary space for the 35 children set to attend preschool and plans to rebuild once again.
“Well, we're in our 100-year floodplain we had two floods in a month so we should be good for another 200 years now,” Rabbi Wineberg chuckled.
If you would like to volunteer or donate visit: Chabadkc.org/flood
