Trying to Stay Afloat

So, I must admit . . . I am less than pleased with how close these flood waters are to our house!! We have a huge field down at the end of our street. It's the same field where we go to fly kites and where our kids ran their mile run in the fall ("The Royal Race") It is way down hill from our street, so naturally that is where water is going to start filling up. We live on a dead end street, and this is just beyond the end of the cul-de-sac. Well, yesterday I got out to take some pictures and talk to some of the people down there, and it threw me into panic mode!! They have Uhauls and are evacuating their basements. One guy said that in 1993 the water almost reached the house and then the river level was 36 feet. The projected water level at it's crest (expected tomorrow afternoon) is 43 feet. They are expecting it to break the previous record of 42.9 feet. Yikes . . . that just doesn't sit well with me. I'm not worried about the house itself . . . but my concern is that we'll end up with water in the basement. So . . . we came inside and started preparing ourselves. Thankfully, we're getting ready to move anyway, so we're really just getting a jump on that. We had some friends come over last night and help get some things packed and get things off of the floor as much as is reasonable. So, now if we start getting water in the basement, everything is ready to come upstairs. It was a long evening, but at least we feel prepared . . . and if we don't get any water, then we're just one step closer to being ready to move!

As I type, Aaron is down at the end of the street helping with sandbagging on those houses that back up to the water.

The field yesterday (3/20)


That same field today:


This is looking at that field from afar. Those houses that you see in the distance are our subdivision.


I don't' know what idiots decided to build the local public high school in a flood plain . . . but they did! Eureka High School is basically right across the highway from us. Here are some yesterday vs. today shots:

The ball fields yesterday


The ball fields today:
(This one is taken from the other side of the highway, as most of the parking lot is now covered in water.)


The parking lot today:



Sandbags from yesterday:

The last I heard, the water still hadn't reached the school building, but it won't be long now!

Here is a shot of highway 109 . . . not far from being flooded out. The water on the right is the ball fields at the high school. One the left is the field that leads up to our subdivision. It won't be long before the highway is flooded out.

I'll keep you all posted on news around here. We did get out to the house today (pictures to come) and there is no water anywhere near it (we couldn't even see water from the highway on the way there). I have to say that I'm thrilled about that . . . and right now I'm feeling like we can't possible move out of Eureka fast enough!!