Still recovering from flooding inside their space less than two weeks ago, the Carbon County Friends of Animals took extra precautions to prevent damage from tropical depression Ida.

Shelter volunteers formed barriers out of sandbags in hopes of diverting water away from the cat shelter.

“We have some ideas for in the future, but right now we needed to do something to prevent what’s going to happen,” said Susie Yaich, president of Carbon County Friends of Animals.

Last week, mud and water from Tropical Storm Henri rushed into the building. The 200 cats in the shelter hid in cat trees and shelves inside the shelter.

After the flooding, shelter supporters showed up with shop vacs to clean up the damage. They followed up by donating food and supplies for the shelter.

Yaich said the response from neighbors was overwhelming, both those who came to volunteer to clean up the shelter, and those who have donated.

“A lot of people have been helping us out. We’re very thankful that we have volunteers and supporters to help us at any moment,” said Dana Dunbar, shelter manager.

Boxes of donations purchased through pet shops and online retailers continue to come in each day. Even the Shop Vac company donated one of their products to them. The shelter wanted to make sure that the new supplies, and the cats, are protected from Ida.

The flooding during Tropical Storm Henri came as a complete surprise to the shelter’s board. They hadn’t had any issues with flooding at the property since they moved there in 2015.

Dunbar happened to discover the damage during Henri after a late-night visit to check on a cat.

“I instantly felt a cold sensation on my feet. That’s when I flicked on the lights and realized, oh my gosh, there’s water throughout the shelter,” Dunbar said.

She then contacted the board members who rushed to help make sure the cats were OK.

This time, they are taking steps to make sure water doesn’t reach the shelter. And if they do, they’ll respond immediately.

Dunbar plans to spend the next two nights, like she does during a snowstorm. And the rest of the shelter volunteers will be waiting anxiously to see if the shelter escapes damage.

“We’re just here praying, and preparing,” Yaich said.