Hi everyone (and especially to dooneygirl for thinking of me) -
Yes, I am right in the middle of the area that was flooded so badly. It has been declared a disaster area, and it is thought this will turn out to be one of the most devastating and expensive natural disasters in American history.
What happened took everyone by surprise. Rain was forecast, but somewhere in the region of 2 - 4 inches. That is alot, but manageable. Instead we got 15 inches of rain. To put it in perspective, we usually get between 6 - 7 inches of rain during the entire month of May. The rain started Saturday morning, and just kept coming - it didn't stop until almost midnight Sunday.
We are safe, thankfully, but my car was almost submerged (with me/dd/her friend) inside, and we had to be rescued by 3 firemen who carried us to safety (one of whom, oddly, was British - but it was clearly not the time to find out how/why he moved here).
My car is a total loss (covered by insurance which is a huge relief). Our house was not affected - we do not live near a river/creek, and are near the top of a quarter mile gentle slope. We lost power, telephone and cable (which meant no internet), but only for 24 hours or so.
There is so much devastation all around us. Almost everyone has a story of loss - from houses completely destroyed, to basements filled with water (and everything inside completely saturated), to pets that didn't make it, etc. The most benign stories involve simple forced evacuations by the National Guard.
We are still under mandatory water conservation measures, as one of the two water processing plants was flooded/failed. We are not supposed to do laundry, run dishwashers, and have been instructed to shower briefly only every other day. No baths, as it uses too much water. All car washes have been shut down, and yard irrigation systems have had water supplies turned off. Many restaurants are serving meals on disposable paper or plastic plates, with paper napkins.
Even the areas not devastated were affected. A drive through many neighbourhoods will show possessions scattered over the lawns/driveways as people attempt to dry out what was submerged in basements. Many houses have been running pumps constantly to remove water. There are huge piles of possessions on the curb in most neighbourhoods - items that were damaged and must be disposed. Many people have rented skips/dumpsters which sit in driveways, and are being filled with items that were destroyed.
School is finally back in session today, but there is loss there too. One of the areas hardest hit is where quite a few teachers live.
Many, many people lost everything. This is a city surrounded by lakes, and a river runs through the area (and right through the centre of town). Those who didn't lose alot are helping those who did - groups of volunteers are going to homes to rip out carpets, walls etc. It is expected that many homes will be condemned as mould will grow as the water dries out. Most people will not be covered by insurance, as it is not thought to be necessary to have flood insurance in this area.
So, for many it is total physical, emotional and financial devastation.
I could go on and on. Our loss/experience was frightening, upsetting and deeply inconvenient. But it was not a tragedy, and is nothing compared to the true life devastation we are witnessing all around us.
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers please.