On Thursday (Nov 10, 2011) the Park Avenue church group worked with another group in the Onagawa area of Ishinomaki. This was a very had hit area which we toured the previous Monday. Funneled into a narrow valley, the tsunami wave reached extreme heights and strength. Two and three story buildings were up rooted from their foundations and turned on their sides.
Our work objective for this day was to clear debris some buried, and clear mud from the foundation of the owner’s home. Fortunately the structures of his house and fish processing facility remained standing though gutted. While the owner and his helper worked on restoring the processing facility, our groups worked on the house and the area around them.
In this area the ground had sunk about four feet. There were sandbags around in an attempt to keep the sea from areas which had formerly been dry. One group began picking up debris from this area. Another group uncovered gutters and cleared them of mud and debris. A smaller group pressure washed the floor joists and foundation of the owners house.
Our group worked a little over four hours that day and made a small dent in the work needing to be done. It is hoped that with the cleaning of the house repairs can begin soon. The owner is working hard to restore his fish processing plant and the livelihood of several in the area. He was most grateful for our efforts.
