Woman buys out shoe stores to help Nebraska flood victims

Several Midwestern states originate from historic floods that hit the area a few weeks ago.

Thousands of people have been evacuated, and large burial sites have been destroyed.

For many in Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota, recovery work has been slow and painful when people come home.

As images of submerged farms were broadcast all over the country, so many on the roads to help.

Here are some of the deeds of goodness that appear in the wake of the destruction.

Some shoes are better than wet shoes & # 39;

When Addy Tritt, 25, noticed her local discount store was closed, she decided to buy the entire warehouse.

Tritt then donated the 204 pairs of shoes, worth $ 6,000 (£ 4,555) to families affected by the floods.

"I wanted them to go to people who actually needed them," said Tritt to CBS News.

After spending two hours negotiating with the store's headquarters, Tritt paid only $ 1[ads1]00 (£ 76) for entire warehouses.

By Ms. Tritt's haul, 162 pairs were baby shoes, two were human and the rest were women, according to the Associated Press.

"Some shoes are better than wet shoes," said Tritt. "If people feel lost, they should try volunteering and donating. It gives me such a fulfillment and I want others to feel like I do."

The shoes were part of a shipment to Nebraska farmers organized by a local student farming group.

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts said that farmers were some of the worst affected by "the most widespread destruction we have ever seen in our state's history".

& # 39; Island Shopping in Nebraska! & # 39;

With many roads in the region made inaccessible by flood waters, some volunteers took to the skis to save stranded residents.

Adam Marshall, has been a private pilot for three years, and when he began receiving calls for help from people caught in Fremont, he approached his little propeller plane.

Marshall told CNN that he has made more than 30 trips and described it as "island hopping in Nebraska".

"My phone just started to blow up, and I told my wife," I think I'm going to be gone for a couple of days. "

" I transported the entire Midland University dance team to Omaha so they would not miss their commercial flight and a woman called Allie who has five children and been cut off from her family, "he said.

Surrounded by rising river water, Gary Fouraker was rushed to hospital after doctors suspected he had blood clots in his lungs.

But there was no room for his wife Marcia to travel with him in the helicopter.

"I have never been afraid as I was [at that point] ", Fouraker told CNN." The roads were not open. "

Marshall came to his rescue and delivered Ms Fouraker to his husband's bed an hour later.

" I just really admire the way he and so many other pilots, really have trained to help people, "Fouraker said.

" Most enjoyed a relief when they took a tour "Marshall reflected." I have many hugs in recent days! "

& # 39; I never escorted hay & # 39;

Derek Jilek, from North Dakota, knew he wanted to help as he saw pictures of flooded farms across the Midwest.

He posted on Facebook and called his "farm and ranch neighbors" to donate some hay bales to those who had been hit by the floods.

Large cities of farmland were destroyed by flood waters, and many farmers have struggled to feed their livestock.

What started as a small effort to collect donations was turned into a nine truck convoy carrying thousands of dollars worth of agricultural products and equipment.

"I guess when you help or volunteer, I always heard you do what you know. We know cows and we know trucks, so we did," says Jilek to the WOWT local news station.

The convoy received a political escort for part of the 600 mile (965km) journey, with a new police authority taking over when the trucks crossed the county borders.

Sgt Dan Kensinger of the Stark County Sheriff's Department said, "This was new to me. We've made funeral director and various other things. I've never escorted high."