Kansas Chabad Cleans Up After Storm Waters Flood Building

Overland Park, a suburb of Kansas City, is recovering from a storm marked by high winds and pounding rain that flooded homes, businesses and roads in Kansas late last week, including filling the Chabad House with five inches of water. Officials declared a local state of emergency in its aftermath.

“The water has receded, but it left behind mud and silt on all the surfaces that it touched,” says Rabbi Mendy Wineberg of the Chabad House Center of Kansas City in Overland Park. “All of the flooring was destroyed. Most of the wooden furniture was destroyed as well.”

Also affected were items in the Chabad House’s community food pantry, which serves about 250 families yearly. “Our pantry is stocked with nonperishable items and is open by appointment. There are no income guidelines; anyone who calls is given food. All of the food on the bottom shelves was destroyed.”

Supplies needed by the synagogue’s preschool, which was set to open for the new school year in three weeks with 35 students, were also damaged, as were children’s books and toys. The rabbi hopes the school can start on schedule, but says they are looking at alternate sites in case the building repairs aren’t completed in time.

Rabbi Mendy and Devory Wineberg

The Chabad House Center of KC is the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters for the states of Kansas and Missouri, directed by Rabbi Sholom and Blumah Wineberg, who were sent there in 1970 by the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory. The rabbi serves as program director, while his wife, Devory Wineberg, is director of the preschool.

Though the Chabad House sits near the Indian Creek, which has risen over its banks before, the younger Rabbi Wineberg reports no flooding in the almost 30 years since he and his wife have been there. The good news in this instance is that the synagogue’s Torahs and prayerbooks remain untouched.

The focus lies on getting the building cleaned up, a job already underway.

“We’ve pulled out all the flooring and opened up all the walls to let them dry out,” says Wineberg. “Once that’s completed, we’ll need to put down new flooring throughout—6,500 square feet of it—and then purchase new preschool supplies and furniture.”

A fundraising page has been set up to assist with the cleanup.

All of the flooring was destroyed, including in the multipurpose room.

Food stored on the bottom shelves of the in-house pantry was also affected.

Toys, books, furniture, carpeting and the floors of the preschool need to be replaced.

Mud and silt cover the playground just three weeks before the start of preschool.

The dirt above the bushes shows a remnant line after the floodwaters receded.