there hasn't been a lot of praise, but when it comes to deb cramer, it's definitely deserved. >> thewn zone you will start in will need one bag. >> reporter: deb cramer believes in the power of the humble lift. over the past years, organizing chi'enups for her non-profits keep coyote creek beautiful. deb has relied heavily on lists. >> what it is that needs to happen. >> check lists to make sure she has the equipment she needs. >> i have a team of leaders. >> e-mail lists to make sure she has the volunteers to do the job. >> so we need you to get a vest. >> so deb knows the power of them to get her day job done, but had no idea what her lists could mean in a disaster. and not until, that is, until there was one. on february 21st, coyote creek overflowed its banks, flooding homes, neighborhoods and parks. the very next day, deb went down to the creek she knows so well to survey the damage. and was stunned by what she saw. >> that's when it was like, okay, so i called the mayor office, and i said, hey, palm, i'm here. let me know if you want any help. >> reporter: palm ferrara is with

for deb cramer, it's needed. for the past year, organizing cleanups to keep coyote creek beautiful. b has relied heavily on lists. checklists to make sure she has the equipment she needs. >> ifr have a team of leaders. >> reporter: e-mail lists to make sure she has the volunteers to do the job. deb knows the power of them to get her day job done but had no idea what her lists could mean in a disaster. not until, that is, there was one. on february 21st, coyote creek overflowed its banks, flooding homes, neighborhoods and parks. the very next day deb went down to the creek she knows so well to survey the damage. and was stunned by what she saw. >> that's when it was like, okay. so i called the mayor's office and i said, hey, paul. i'm here. let me know if you want any help. >> reporter: paul pereira is with the city of san jose and had worked with deb in the past, so he knew she could help. but even he was surprised just how much. >> we're beyond grateful. it's just -- i don't think i can ever thank her enough. >> so we don't have to worry about that. >> reporter: within a matter of d