After the flood...
An ariel view of our Lift Bridge... Days after the flood.
Photo curtisey of the Duluth News Tribune via web search
June 2012 has marked a historical natural disaster in the area I live in, that will forever be remembered. News reports of the flash flood that hit us all too hard and suddenly, came from all over the US. Some of our roads were washed away as the water found routes of escape, (as shown to the left). The pressure of the water caused uprooting of trees to be swept far away from their original grounding. Our precious State Parks are devastated, as well as our city's Zoo, which lost a dozen animals to drowning... It has been a crazy roller coaster of unbelievable chaos that Mother Nature has specifically put in our path.
 One of our biggest industries, the railway, is now at a standstill as they survey the damage. |  This is a community and school not far from our area. They are still underwater a week and a half later. |
 Sink holes in the roads appeared out of no where... Luckily no one was injured. |  Many cars were left underwater, including an entire car dealership... |
Our story...  This is the park we take our dog everyday. She used to run... now may be swimming!  The trail we would walk at the same park. | Many homes in our neighborhood are 100+ years old, as is ours. Luckily we did not get standing water flooding our basement as others did. But my husband was one of the lucky few who's car decided to take a swim... He drove directly into standing water under a bridge (this being at night and him not being able to see the water...). His car splashed into 3-4 ft of water while going around 25 mph. Water started to seep in through the car doors and he frantically pried them open to get out. After a while he was able to push the car out with help from passersby...and a tow truck came to the rescue. I tell you, it was hard for me to get his phone call and realize I couldn't help him. First of all, I'd only get myself stuck somewhere and secondly, I physically couldn't get to him - roads were impassable, some washed completely in half! It was scary and something we weren't prepared for. He finally arrived home, wet from head to toe, smelling like nasty-ness and said "Honey, it was scary." This is not something my husband ever says. I knew he was happy to be home and I was so thankful he was okay. Our car, on the other hand, is not okay and I'm taking this a sign that it's time for a new ride. Besides the car being full of water, the transmission, the gas tank, etc... The interior of the car is soaked through with mucky mildew infested mold that is just plain unsafe. |
 The seal that escaped the zoo! |  One of the roads...  A shopper at our local Target! |
Flood over, but work is just starting...
I must say how thankful I am for not having to endure the pain of loosing precious items that you can't replace. I ride my bike (now that we only have the one vehicle) to work everyday and go past three homes, (Photos below) that were sitting under water for a week after the flood. The water line still shows on their siding. It's unbelievable to see the furniture, belongings and trees/branches that keep filling up in the dumpster outside their homes. No one has flood insurance around here, as our city resides on a hill! I pray that those affected, without homes and who have lost so much bounce back from this disaster with strength and determination to keep loving life after every up and down it gives.
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What now?
As our city begins to assess the damages and plan to build and repair, we are not out of the clear completely. Future storms that are most likely going to happen this summer will bring on more rainfall and not allow the worst flooded areas to recede and dry. The mold damage, the algae and anything else that's under the standing water in people's basements, is just sitting there until the water goes down. It seems everyone is watching the weather lately. Rain is a scary forecast for some.
We are working on getting a new vehicle, but for now I'm having fun riding my bike to and from work everyday. I get to take different routes due to some road closings and see the construction crews working on the roadways... My husband has been driving my car and will pick me up sometimes, saying how much fun it is to be my driver
:)
This disaster has yes, been a disaster. But also it gives us an opportunity to see not only how powerful Mother Nature can be, but how precious our lives are. How in-disposable our belongings, our homes, our "things" can be. How the important things in life are really the people in our lives and the power of communities coming together to help and support one another. It's been a beautiful experience to see. It makes me excited for the future, the renovations of the places we love (like our parks) and gives me reassurance that we are strong survivors that can and will stand strong and pull through what's been washed away.
We are working on getting a new vehicle, but for now I'm having fun riding my bike to and from work everyday. I get to take different routes due to some road closings and see the construction crews working on the roadways... My husband has been driving my car and will pick me up sometimes, saying how much fun it is to be my driver
:)
This disaster has yes, been a disaster. But also it gives us an opportunity to see not only how powerful Mother Nature can be, but how precious our lives are. How in-disposable our belongings, our homes, our "things" can be. How the important things in life are really the people in our lives and the power of communities coming together to help and support one another. It's been a beautiful experience to see. It makes me excited for the future, the renovations of the places we love (like our parks) and gives me reassurance that we are strong survivors that can and will stand strong and pull through what's been washed away.
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