Butler County has seen its share of struggles during the past few days due to the torrential rain that has blanketed the area.

Trees have been felled by the storms. Homes have been damaged. A local church and campground are in disrepair. Roads have been swallowed by sinkholes. Cars have been totaled. Property has been destroyed and, in some cases, swept away by flood waters as people needed rescuing.

Not surprisingly, Butler County residents have risen to the occasion and come together to help out their neighbors, while local emergency responders have worked hard to keep residents safe.

“It’s been a long couple days,” said Steve Bicehouse, chief of the Evans City Fire Department at the scene of a fire Wednesday at St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church. Although the cause of the fire has not been linked to the weather — the cause remains unknown at present — it provided another opportunity for the community to be supportive.

Residents brought food and drinks for firefighters battling the blaze. Bicehouse said eight of the county’s fire departments assisted.

On Denny Road, emergency responders helped Karla Horanic and her family escape her flooded property. Members of the Middlesex Township Volunteer Fire Department, fire rescue, police and Quality EMS assisted in the rescue, while Horanic’s neighbors helped and the family’s friends provided refuge.

The Butler County Water Rescue Team 300 rescued a number of other residents from flooded homes and vehicles, while volunteer fire departments cleared the debris off roads and pumped water out of flooded basements.

Other local institutions and residents took time out to help those in need.

On Wednesday, Grace Church of Harmony held a dinner to feed anyone affected by the flooding. St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Evans City held a similar event.

Another church — Gospel Life in Evans City — had its basement besieged by water. But Dave Trepanier, the church’s pastor, seemed relatively nonplussed. He noted that the church’s congregation was dedicated and would fix up the site.

Kim Armstrong, vice president of Evans City’s borough council, had to deal with a flooded basement after the first storm. Afterward, she roamed around town looking to help others.

Meanwhile, Camp Redwing — which is owned by the Girl Scouts — experienced flooding at its campgrounds, while one of its bridges was bent by flooding and the site’s amphitheater and corral were underwater. The Girl Scouts are organizing volunteers to clean up the camp.

In other parts of the county, neighbors helped each other by pumping water out of basements and with other cleanup efforts.

“This is a community that does that for each other,” said Don Pepe, borough manager for Zelienople. “I’m proud of that.”

So are we. By most accounts, the past few days have been difficult for county residents. But it’s encouraging to see so many people — whether due to the requirements of their job or simply because of their good nature — lending a hand to help their neighbors get through this challenging week.