Community Efforts Find Ways To Lift Up Ravenswood

BECCA PANYARD STILL can’t believe the devastation—the pounding, relentless rains that unleashed unprecedented flash flooding across Indiana beginning August 15. Ravenswood, Panyard’s Indianapolis neighborhood, was one of the hardest hit areas; her rental home was among many inundated with water and heavily damaged, personal belongings and all.

 

“We’ve never had this type of flood. It’s never flooded 8 feet out to 71st and Evanston, ever,” Panyard says. “For a lot of these people, their home is all they’ve got, and now it’s gone.”

 

Ravenswood, an eclectic community along the White River west of Keystone Avenue and north of 71st Street, saw rapidly rising, fast-moving floodwaters pour into their streets and homes, forcing residents to escape with few, if any, belongings. Panyard wound up at a nearby Airbnb but has spent little time there, feeling compelled to help her neighbors. She notes very few residents (including landlords) have flood insurance, which is costly and hard to get. Plus, Ravenswood is still awaiting and hoping for a disaster declaration from FEMA to help with recovery.

 

To fill that gap, Panyard and fellow neighbors Abbie Downs and Kat Stuart jumped into high gear to help, setting up a “donation hub/headquarters” at the nearby Riverwood Park pavilion. The picnic tables are covered with rolls of paper towels, toilet paper, bottled water, snacks, and large buckets filled with cleaning supplies, most of it donated by local groups and businesses.

 

While the Indianapolis Department of Public Works has sent out a daily brigade of garbage trucks to pick up piles of flood debris lining the streets of Ravenswood, Panyard says it’s not enough. She noted that as of Wednesday, no one else from the city or state was out helping. (Though Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett did stop by to assess the damage.)

 

“This is my home, my park, my neighborhood, my people,” she says. “I know other areas are affected, but to be blunt, this is the lowest income area, and we need help starting with the bare necessities, including food and water.”

 

Melissa McRee, who’s lived in Ravenswood for 29 years, teared up talking about the young women’s efforts to help those in need. “It’s helping tremendously because most of us have lost everything,” McRee says. “And just everywhere you look there’s been help that’s amazing.”

 

While there’s still much to be done, Panyard is already looking ahead. She says the biggest long-term goal “is to make Ravenswood a town so we’re more organized if and when severe flooding happens again.”

 

Want to help? Needs include:

Donations can be dropped off at:

The American Red Cross, activated in 29 counties, is also providing meals, snacks, water, and 24-hour sheltering for flood victims at the Washington Township Services Center off Westfield Boulevard. Anyone with questions or in need of help should call the 211 Helpline.