DawnGirl27
28-Mar-2009, 11:18 PM
Haven't been on lately due to historic flooding taking place in the area I live. I had to evac Wednesday morning (voluntary but strongly encouraged), and the next day went back to get some forgotten things, turn breakers off, and water.
Earthen dam had already been placed across the driveway into my development, so went in with rubber boots. Ice and water was within an inch of top of them, but inside of house was still dry. The water had risen incredibly from the day before when I'd left - I was taken aback when I first saw it. Slogged back, and found an elderly couple parked beside our vehicle. They were neighbors 2 houses down to the south, and needed meds and other things, so I offered to go for them. The water was deeper in their driveway, and the ice wouldn't hold my weight as it had at our place, so went through hard, and ice water poured into boots. On way back, same happened, except with ice chunks.
It's so surreal to hear anything talked about on TV other than the flood - that's all we've been living lately, so weird to realize again that not everyone is going through it.
President Obama called our Fargo mayor with encouraging words and offers of resources, and our situation has gone national.
There are some links at the bottom if you haven't heard about it. Please keep everyone involved in your thoughts and prayers - there are some who fought very hard to protect their homes but ended up having to leave. You really take for granted what a safe zone your home is; I realized that Wednesday after the National Guardsman told me about the evac and then I closed the door and had to start thinking, 'What do we take with us, not knowing if our house will be here when the waters finally go down?' You have to be practical, and yet sentiment ties you to so many things and you have to whittle down specific items and leave the rest behind. When I got out to my dad's farm (where I grew up), looking at what we decided to bring in the heat of the moment was very telling. We'd brought some things we wouldn't have had to (bath towels, for one thing), wedding pictures, favorite books (me), a stuffed animal my mom had given me before she died. Clothes, of course, bank stuff, our 2 cats and dog.
Wednesday before we left I looked back over my shoulder (how can't you?), and hoped I'd see our home again soon. The next day when we left for the last time until this is all over, I did it again, but this time, having seen how fast the water and ice had come up, suddenly thought of all the others in the same situation, and it was tough.
My husband and I are fortunate in that we have a place to stay, no matter what, but I hope we'll be able to get back to our own home, the way we left it. Can't hurt to hope, and a lot of people around here so need that right now.
Shell
http://www.wday.com/ - Our local news
http://kstp.com/article/stories/S852384.shtml?cat=11492&v=1 - out of Minneapolis - look at bottom for different topics with footage
Earthen dam had already been placed across the driveway into my development, so went in with rubber boots. Ice and water was within an inch of top of them, but inside of house was still dry. The water had risen incredibly from the day before when I'd left - I was taken aback when I first saw it. Slogged back, and found an elderly couple parked beside our vehicle. They were neighbors 2 houses down to the south, and needed meds and other things, so I offered to go for them. The water was deeper in their driveway, and the ice wouldn't hold my weight as it had at our place, so went through hard, and ice water poured into boots. On way back, same happened, except with ice chunks.
It's so surreal to hear anything talked about on TV other than the flood - that's all we've been living lately, so weird to realize again that not everyone is going through it.
President Obama called our Fargo mayor with encouraging words and offers of resources, and our situation has gone national.
There are some links at the bottom if you haven't heard about it. Please keep everyone involved in your thoughts and prayers - there are some who fought very hard to protect their homes but ended up having to leave. You really take for granted what a safe zone your home is; I realized that Wednesday after the National Guardsman told me about the evac and then I closed the door and had to start thinking, 'What do we take with us, not knowing if our house will be here when the waters finally go down?' You have to be practical, and yet sentiment ties you to so many things and you have to whittle down specific items and leave the rest behind. When I got out to my dad's farm (where I grew up), looking at what we decided to bring in the heat of the moment was very telling. We'd brought some things we wouldn't have had to (bath towels, for one thing), wedding pictures, favorite books (me), a stuffed animal my mom had given me before she died. Clothes, of course, bank stuff, our 2 cats and dog.
Wednesday before we left I looked back over my shoulder (how can't you?), and hoped I'd see our home again soon. The next day when we left for the last time until this is all over, I did it again, but this time, having seen how fast the water and ice had come up, suddenly thought of all the others in the same situation, and it was tough.
My husband and I are fortunate in that we have a place to stay, no matter what, but I hope we'll be able to get back to our own home, the way we left it. Can't hurt to hope, and a lot of people around here so need that right now.
Shell
http://www.wday.com/ - Our local news
http://kstp.com/article/stories/S852384.shtml?cat=11492&v=1 - out of Minneapolis - look at bottom for different topics with footage