THE ARK IS ABOUT TO SET SAIL
It is very likely in the next few hours that I will be forced to flee my home due to flooding. It appears only a miracle will be able to save the house and most of my possessions. We don’t have an “upstairs” that we can move things although we’ve taken a lot of stuff to the loft in the garage.
This happened to me back in ‘94 but at the time, I was living on the second floor of an apartment building. This time, I’m not so lucky.
If blogging is interrupted for a few days, I hope you keep checking back. For make no mistake, the first chance I get, I will start posting again.
UPDATE: 7:00 PM
Dodged one bullet. Three more behind it. Then along about 9:00 PM, another round sweeps in from Iowa.
Forecast tomorrow? Yep. More T-Storms day and night.
UPDATE: 10:15 - “SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME”
The band of storms that were supposed to hit here between 7-10 missed us by around 25 miles to the south. O’Hare got drowned. I hear the Woodfield Mall parking lot is a lake. But we haven’t had a drop since 6:30 and the water has actually receded a few inches.
Funny - measuring hope in inches. But when you’re looking for a sign that catastrophe is avoided, you’ll grasp at anything.
I wonder if Noah had a lifeboat?
One more round to go - early in the AM. Firemen told me to sleep in the living room in case I have to move quickly. Hopefully, I’ll be here to blog about things in the AM.
UPDATE: STILL HERE
Wow. Just Wow. If my luck keeps holding like this, I may just abandon my atheism and embrace religion.
Everything that was being forecast to hit us, drifted to the south instead. We got a little drizzle a bit after midnight but that was all. This morning, the creek has receded several feet.
Not out of the woods yet. They’re still predicting T-Storms for most of the day. And the ground is very saturated - swampy to be precise. But the water in my sub basement hasn’t harmed anything and is starting to go down.
Blogging will continue as normal for the time being.
Hang in there. I probably should know where you are but I am guessing Illinois. In any case we just had a gullywasher go through here (Omaha) a few minutes ago.
The drought is over here for the moment. My wife asked a bit ago if we had enough lumber in stock for an ark.
Ain’t funny, McGee.
Comment by Larry Sheldon — 8/23/2007 @ 8:09 pm
Good luck to you. Here in this part of Texas, we feel your pain.
Comment by Karen — 8/23/2007 @ 8:28 pm
Hang in there. If only we bloggers could turn our rhetorical sandbagging into the real thing, we’d wall you in safely.
Comment by Callimachus — 8/23/2007 @ 8:41 pm
Rick,
Make sure you put some cig’s in the loft. Seriously, best wishes to you getting through the storms.
Comment by Chris — 8/24/2007 @ 12:08 am
Thoughts and prayers with you, Rick. May the rain pass, the flood waters recede, and the sun shine on you, your home, and your blogging.
Comment by Bernard — 8/24/2007 @ 8:27 am
I was going to make the cigarette suggestion, but was afraid he’d burn the place down….
Glad you are safe. Severe clear here (near Omaha).
Comment by Larry Sheldon — 8/24/2007 @ 8:33 am
If worse comes to worse, Rick, you can set up shop in my basement.
Comment by Chip — 8/24/2007 @ 8:55 am
Rick - this is God. I heard that and will expect you at Church come Sunday.
Seriously though, I hope you don’t have to inflate that dingy.
Comment by Cordeiro — 8/24/2007 @ 10:12 am
It’s clear and sunny this AM in western Iowa and no heavy rain since Wednesday. Hope it reaches you soon.
Comment by Old Mike — 8/24/2007 @ 10:35 am
We got it pretty good down here in Bartlett. Sirens and everything. I really need to find out where the drain tile in the back yard is located and clear it out. Glad you made it through this batch.
Comment by irish19 — 8/24/2007 @ 4:09 pm
I live one town over, and I feel your pain.
Comment by tHePeOPle — 8/24/2007 @ 4:14 pm
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you. Our weather in far western IL is clearing after the nasty blow yesterday… maybe you’ll have clear skies, too, by sunset tonight.
Comment by leucanthemum b — 8/24/2007 @ 5:27 pm