Flood 2009

The rain we had on September 21, 2009 is definitely something that I will never forget. We ha no idea when we went to bed Sunday night that we would get over 12 inches of rain in 3 hours, causing local creeks and lakes to rise to levels that I will probably never see again in my lifetime. We got up Monday morning expecting to go to work and school as usual, except that we might need our rain gear. After turning on the news we quickly found out that there were school closing because of the rain and also the fact that we were under a boil water advisory. Shortly after that around 7am we found out there would be not school or anything else that day, we were stuck in our neighborhood. The small stream under the roadway at the entrance of our neighborhood had come over the banks and eaten out the roadway, making unsafe to travel over the road. Shortly after that, we lost water, gas, cable, Internet, and phone due to all of the main lines breaking at the entrance of our neighborhood. Z true to his nature, found a way to get to work. He and another officer walked out of our neighborhood on foot, leaving us at home to wonder what was going on on the "outside" and how and when Z would be able to return home.

Although stressful, it was a day that all the neighbors came together to help each other out and just to bond over the experience that we were all in together. Shortly after Z went to work, I discovered that our roof was leaking and water was coming into S bedroom. I was quite upset about the water coming in, but Z was busy dealing with much bigger crisis at work and I just had to do the best I could. I put towels down and said a prayer that the damage would not be too bad. We are still in the process of discovering how bad the damage was. Z finally made it home late Monday night and with him he brought some needed supplies for us and another neighbor that was also stuck in our neighborhood.

I cannot even write about the events that unfolded the next couple of days...I get tired just thinking about them. Let me give a quick run down--a patho test, sick kids, my dad sick in the hospital, Z injured ribs, wet house, packing for a wedding, no school, a skin infection and trip to the ER with M, still stuck in the neighborhood, no shower, insomnia, leaving our house in a panic with about 10 minutes to finish packing, 2 hour traffic jam to a hotel the night before our flight, and God's Grace To Get Through It ALL!!!!!

We will never forget The Flood of 2009 and our own personal flood during that time, but we came out stronger, with much to be thankful for, and lots of memories that will be talked about for a long time to come!