It had been raining for weeks, so when another thunderstorm began, I pretty much ignored it, figuring it wouldn't cause much damage. I only looked outside when I heard my dad, who lives next door, banging things around. Turns out he was wrestling with trash bins that kept floating away. That's him in the picture below, taken from behind my screen door, just before water started to come into my house.
I live upstairs in an old, two-story house. Thank goodness downstairs is mostly used for storage..and shoes. Unfortunately, my car, that was vandalized last month and was just brought back from the body shop the day before, also lives downstairs and got flooded.
After 4.5 hours of sweeping, scooping, and mopping water up, I finally ventured out in my soggy car to get a Shop-Vac. Shoulda done that earlier. Yesterday my father ripped out the living room carpet and threw out the two couches. They were old and only Rocky would miss them. Most of the things in storage are OK, with the exception of some older printers and monitors. My stuff is all upstairs, safe and dry.
Click the image below for a slideshow of my view of the flood. I couldn't go outside to take better pictures because I was trying my damnedest to block the water from coming in the doors! Once it started seeping in, it gained power, pushing away towels, rags, and rugs I used to try to stop the flow.
I'm very lucky. Nothing of real value was damaged. The first thing I did was scoop up my shoes that were on the floor, and make sure the rest were out of harm's way :) It's mostly the days of clean-up that are a pain. Others weren't as fortunate. It's been raining off-and-on, but mostly on, for about five weeks. Hawaii hasn't been hit like this in decades.
5 comments:
GEEZ! One nevr thinks of floodin on a ILAND!
I dont imagine ANYONE got by witout SOME measure o damidge. Souns like you did well t keep it to a minimum, tho. (Imagine if youda been away on vacation when th watr startd comin in!)
We been havin a unusual amount o rain where I am, but nothin t cause THAT kinda floodin.
We're just a teeny island, but most places weren't affected that badly by all these weeks of rain. It was very unusual to have flooded our area like it did.
Yep, it's a good thing that since I got my cat I've become more of a homebody and hardly go on trips anymore, or Rocky might've had to bail water on his own!
Despite one flood, 2 tropical storms (Andrew and Floyd which never gave my area Hurricane winds) and Hurricanes Frances, Jeanne, and Wilma, my house has never seen flood waters come in. I was in New Orleans a couple months ago to see some family and the houses had brown lines of where the water got up to. You're actually very lucky. Me, well I'm VERY lucky.
salbert: Yeah, I know I am. I complain, but compared to those who lost more..and to all those tornado-hit states today, I know I got off easy.
Whoa Fitz,
I didn't know. I'm real glad you and Rocky are ok, and your dad too. That's crazy and scary. I know it doesn't help, but it could have been much worse. I wish I could say something more poignant.
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