Louise Janelle, administrative secretary at the Rocky Mount Art Center, remembers the events of Hurricane Floyd. Her first role during the flood was to be a comforting and reassuring presence at the R. M. Wilson Gym, which was being used as a shelter to take in residents who had been rescued from Riverside apartments. Ms. Janelle tells a few specific rescue stories, as well as remembering how respectful people were and how she got strength from them. In the following days, she volunteered at Edwards Junior High School, which provided shelter and food for city employees. Although she works in Rocky Mount, Ms. Janelle lives about ten minutes away in Nashville. It took her a long time to get to Rocky Mount the morning of the flood. In the following days, she did not go inside the art center buildings, but she was there to support everyone. She describes how the community came together in an amazing way, and that everyone showed compassion for others regardless of racial or financial barriers. Although the Art Center was destroyed, the city is providing the center with a number of new facilities that Ms. Janelle is excited about. Finally, she describes how the flood has taught her to be more grateful, and how, for months after the flood, she cried as she drove around the city and saw the damage.