Over the weekend, we had snow, wind, rain, rain, rain, wind, rain.
Did I mention the rain?
I did not get outside with my camera today, but there were several roads near our home and on the way into town that were flooded — or covered by mud.
Our region is hilly (to a person from the East Coast, our hills are almost as big as mountains, but that’s another story), and so when there is a LOT of rain in a short period, the hills tend to slough off a bit.
And they did, taking out roads and parts of roads in many places. One of our favorite restaurants, The Ranch House on Highway 8, was taken out by a mud slide. There are numerous pictures at The Olympian, the main Thurston County newspaper. Also pictures of several intersections where people forgot the rule: don’t drive through standing water!
Our home, of course, stayed high and dry, but the end of our driveway was covered in a couple inches of water this morning as I drove out to help at Mother’s school — the pipe and ditch were just not big enough for the amount of water coming down.
By the time the children and I got home in the late afternoon, however, the water was back to a normal amount in the ditch, and a couple more or less permanent puddles in the driveway itself.
BUT the rain had taken its toll a few houses further up our road, where a tree had lifted its roots right out of the ground and brought the power line down (again). So we are without power (the miracles of laptop batteries and generators), and the sky is darker than normal.
Will there be power by morning? I hope so. I am scheduled to help at one of the boys’ schools again in the morning. And looking forward to it greatly. If the power is out for us, I may still be able to help at the school, it would certainly be warmer… If not, it will be a good excuse to sit covered in blankets by the big picture window and read books.
Meantime, there are many families not so fortunate, whose cars, land and homes are underwater. Back East, many people are dead in a separate storm that brought snow and cold.
If you haven’t already prepared for winter weather, this is the time!
- Carry chains in your car at all times if you live in a snow-prone area.
- Have some extra water and blankets and flares in the car, in case you have an emergency and get stuck for a time.
- Make sure you have extra water and food that is easy to cook/eat in case the power goes out where you live.
- Check your flashlights, fire/smoke alarms and alarm clocks — have a supply of extra batteries on hand.
- If you don’t have a battery-powered lantern, know where your candles are and be cautious when they are lit.
- Know where you will go if you can’t get home — as has happened to some of us after earthquakes and mudslides.
I hope this helps.
To my friends in the Southern Hemisphere… remember your sunscreen, your hats, and drink lots of water.