In one of my previous post about the storm that blew me off my porch, I said I thought it would flood, well... its flooding NOW.
Not on the grand scale of the Flood of '85, as far as I know...
So, Im working a CW contact about 9 pm on 40m when my Android phone blips with a flash flood warning. Ive seen this so damn many times over the last 4 weeks, its not even registering any more.
As I wrap up the ham station and shut down the flux capacitor, Im heaed up stairs, but hear something strange... Well hell, its water in the basement. Its coming in the window which is below the ground in a case and the sump pump is running too... No biggie, the water is running freely to the drain in the floor, only about 5 feet away and its not making it to the carpet area... but it is coming in with some authority.
So, I go upstairs to get my good flashlight and toss on my USGI rain top to inspect.... the yard is full of standing water. Theres nothing I can do to resolve the water in the basement issue, and its doing no harm as of now, so I head back in.
By now it is about 12 midnight...and I get the daughter to come see the water standing in the yard, sidewalk and driveway. We talk about prepping for zombies, peak oil and god knows what... but this is one of those real possibilities, a flood...
I verbally review the different things that could happen from a flood.... water main break, sewer line gets messed up, a power line can lose footing and topple, even the street at the bottom of the hill, which runs along a creek, it could flood and we would be trapped in the subdivision.
Well, the rain is coming down HARD, and has been for a few hours... We come inside from out talk on the porch, she heads off to bed and Im going to put my rain gear up to drain... when.... the lights go out. Its less than 1 min from our talk, and the princess calls DADDY! I head that way with my flashlight, and ask... wheres the ones I bought you to keep on the night stand? Never mind, kids.... Well, the power came back on only after about 2 minutes.
The wife is long asleep and Im headed that way when the phone rings... Its my step daughter, she pulled over at a BK because the rain was so hard and asked if I could come get her in the War Wagon.... So I get dressed and head out, I had just put my sleep clothes on when the phone rang but never got to lay down.
I fire up the 6.2L and circle back do go down the hill.... but when I get there it is FLOODED! I proceed with caution as I could accurately judge the depth. I get out of the water and down too the next T intersection, and ITS FLOODED!
I make it to BK and pick up the step, then return home without incident. After I get home, I prod the daughter out of bed and take her, and the camcorder.... to the bottom of the hill to see the havoc. In the 20 years Ive lived on this hill, Ive never see water out of the bank of the creek and flooding the entire road!
Yes, I have video... but since Im not sure about the mains and its now 1am and Im going to sleep now, Im not going to edit and post it, but I will tomorrow on this thread. Its nothing awe inspiring, but it is a lot of swift water!!
Remember: keep your preps ready, you NEVER know WHEN something might strike!
EB
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks