'It's 30 Years Of My Life': El Reno Resident Returns To Damaged Home After Flooding

Many residents are returning home after floodwaters forced them out nearly two weeks ago. 

El Reno resident Billie Wilds left her home barely having any time to gather her belongings. Nearly two weeks later, her home is still drying out.

“I want to throw up. And actually, the next day, I did throw up,” said Wilds. “I was just sick about it, I raised seven children here.” 

Black mold is already growing in the back closet, and the bathroom in Wilds' home has seen better days. Perhaps the biggest concern is what lies in the home’s air vents.

“You can see the spiders coming out,” said Wilds. “It’s pretty much just miserable and sickening to think about.”

As homeowners return back home, the Oklahoma State Health Department encourages caution. The department says it’s important to know the status of your utilities and to leave generators far outside, and initially limit your exposure to the home.

“That will really reduce the amount of exposure you might have to any mold that is growing on damp surfaces during the time the property has been infected,” said Scott Sproat, Director of the OSDH Emergency Preparedness and Response Service.

It'll be some time before the Wilds family returns back to normal, right now, it's hard to put it all into words.

“It’s 30 years of my life, I don’t know,” said Wilds.

The most important thing to keep in mind whenever dealing with water in your home is when in doubt, just throw food out.