The water filled their Dymond Terrace home until their first floor was more than three feet under.
Their furniture was destroyed; their new holding tank, furnace and hot water heater tossed and swirled within their inundated basement until they were crushed like cans.
Their road looked like a war zone, with neighbors' possessions piled up on their lawn, and debris lining the roadsides.
Emergency evacuators rescued them quickly; within two weeks, their paperwork was submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, along with those of the other flood victims of Wyoming County. Emergency housing was located, and they moved into an apartment to wait until they could find a new place to live.
Two years later, Pat and Albert Sutterlin are still waiting for a buyout so they can move out of their temporary first floor apartment near Brick's Supermarket in Tunkhannock, and purchase a permanent home.
Diagnosed many years ago with multiple sclerosis, Mr. Sutterlin's mobility is limited. In a rental, adding handrails in the hallways and other modifications are just not possible.
After Tropical Storm Lee destroyed their home, they originally planned to rebuild.
The homeowners insurance money was used to repair some of the structural damage and to replace the appliances.
However, the only way a building permit would be approved for a new house on the same site would be if the home was raised above flood levels. That did not seem practical for the couple.
"We were offered a buyout, and so we decided to take it," Mrs. Sutterlin said.
After many promises, the buyout has yet to arrive.
"After 18 months, FEMA stopped paying the rent for the apartment," Mrs. Sutterlin said. "We are still paying a mortgage on our property, and now we are paying rent on an apartment. It is a nice apartment, but it was meant to be temporary. It isn't handicapped-accessible, and my husband has difficulty getting around."
She has been communicating with Eaton Twp. Supervisor Paul Rowker, Wyoming County EMA Coordinator Eugene Dziak, FEMA, PEMA, and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey's office.
With the exception of the Madden property in Dymond Terrace, Eaton Twp., none of the buyouts have been released payment yet. Mr. Dziak said that there is a very good chance they will be resolved by the end of May.
The couple hopes to purchase a home after the buyout. Although they love the Tunkhannock area, the Sutterlins may have to move closer to their daughter in Archbald.
Whichever direction their search takes, it must wait for the buyout funds. Mrs. Sutterlin said that she began looking for a new home, but then stopped, because it was impossible for them to swing a down-payment while paying rent and a mortgage, as well as taxes, homeowners insurance and flood insurance on their flood-impacted property.
"We are not impoverished, but things are tight," she said. "We just need to get out of a holding situation and find a place to live the rest of our lives."
Contact the writer: pfarnelli@wcexaminer.comPat and Albert Sutterlin, shown here in their temporary apartment in Tunkhannock, are still waiting for their FEMA buyout for their flooded home on Dymond Terrace in Eaton Township.