Had some flooding in NE Iowa while Emmett and I were up visiting this weekend. While at Uncle Bill's north of New Hampton the deluge started. Saturday night and Sunday morning before his retirement party, water in the basement of his house and nearly isolated by water with bridges out on either side.
Returning to Grammy and Papa's in Greene after the party Sunday night to find flood waters as high as we'd ever seen them. So high that an evacuation of their part of town was announced that night, we decided we didnt want to stay in at the high school that night so after several attempts we finally found a round about way to the interstate highway and back to Stratford arriving there at 1:00 am today. Slept a few hours then made another round about way back to Greene assess the damage. Neighbors next door Grammy's house with flooded basements and three houses down with at least lower levels under water, but Grammy's house was still dry. Stayed that way thru the morning and early afternoon with waters behind the house receeding, but at 3 pm water began bubbling up thru the basement floor.
There are two levels in the basement, one level being a foot lower then the other and the lower level is where the water was coming up, of course the furance, waterheater and chest freezer are on that side, as of 7pm when Emmett and I left the water never rose above probably a half inch due to our bailing and shop-vaccing, we also got the freezer moved. The furance sits brick pads about 4 inches off the floor, so our goal was keeping the water from getting that high.
Grammy's house still has electrical service, water, sewerage (as of this evening) but the natural gas has been shut off (probably days before its back) and no phone service.
With Nan and Ev enjoying themselves at Disney World right now, Emmett and I have come back to our quiet house in Stratford where hot water was enjoyed by the both of us. I'm sure I'll be back to Greene again tomorrow after work, as long as Grammy and Papa can maintain, Emmett will get to spend the day with Aunt Amy and Cousin Emma.
I brought the laptop and iSight camera to Greene and got a bit of footage, not bad for a webcam. (Nan has the good camera at Disney.)
3 comments:
Holy Cow. Someone told me yesterday there was flooding in Iowa but never imagined that it hit so close to home.
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Geez Louise!!! Are the water levels going down today? Praying for your parents. Can I help in anyway as well?? We were in the middle of a heat wave so I guess I shouldn't complain much. Thinking of you.
Thanks for prayers and good thoughts and calls everyone. I'll try posting an update tonite (Wed.) My mom appreciates it too, she says they were so fortunate compared to many in town, especially when next door neighbors were much worse off.
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