After August’s devastating flooding swept through Baton Rouge, almost everyone can say that they know someone who lost something—furniture, photo albums, a house or even a family member. But now that the waters have receded, the people affected are starting to get back on their feet, returning to their homes to rebuild and reclaiming memories along the way.

Olivia and Scott Huffstetler, for example, hadn’t expected to be wading through waist-deep water to escape their Denham Springs home by boat the afternoon of August 13. Now, Olivia—an interior designer—is offering her services to help friends choose wall colors and flooring, as well as to her own gutted home, certain that her town will come together to get through the tragedy together.

Alan and Paige Colby faced similar strains in their Prairieville home. But they managed to turn some of their misfortune into good luck—before the flood, they had planned on completing several renovations, which Alan is using his expertise in the construction business to accomplish on the fast track.

Marianne and Mark McIntyre made sure to take photos of their home’s interior as the waters began to rise, and then again after the flood crept inside. Now, with that documentation in hand, the McIntyres can finally start to rebuild their forever-home—just the way it was.

Find out more about these three families and their renovations in the October issue of inRegister, available on newsstands now, or click through for stories on the Huffstetlers, Colbys and McIntyres.