You see, I live in Columbia, South Carolina and have lived here all of my life. I have spent the last few days watching my hometown sink under the pressure of so much rain that the systems of lakes could not hold all of the water. In South Carolina we have dealt with Hugo, one of many monster hurricanes. We have dealt with earthquakes, even though that was many,many years ago. Almost every winter we have crippling ice storms. Now, much of the state is dealing with what has been called a 1000 year flood. I think this is probably the worst of what has come before. We really could prepare for the other disasters, we knew what to expect. Flood water is another thing entirely. You really cannot prepare for this. You really cannot imagine the extent of devastation until you live it. You might say, don't build around water, but, that is not necessarily the answer. My home is miles away from a body of water. If it had not been for some work by the Corp of Engineers and Richland county we would have been under at least 6 feet of water.
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| This is the canal where we have an area of water intake for the city. |
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| This is a complex that my husband worked on several years ago in Sumter |
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| This is the Lowe's in the area that the Quilted Pearl USED to be. |
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| This was an area that was totally flooded in the Forest acres area. |
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| This is an area on Bluff Rd. that is the entrance to I-77 Just a few miles from my home |
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| This is the back water of Lake Murray Dam when they opened the spill way gates to dump water into the Saluda River. |
As this played out over the weekend, I watched areas of this city that I use to play in be destroyed. I watched business flooded out. Some were our hangouts as teenagers, some were brand new and had only been in business for a few months. I have watched TV anchors 'loose it' on air due to what we see and how we feel. The first responders in South Carolina are to really be commended for the jobs they have done. Especially dealing with the 'stupid' that can't seem to understand that a barricade is in that street for a reason. They have seen the worst of this. The media has been fabulous. They have kept us up dated and have tried very hard to make sure that the information given was correct and up to date.
The people of South Carolina .........what can I say about them..............not enough adjectives to tell you just how amazing they are. You need what? They have it there so quickly, you just wouldn't believe how they did it. I have to say too that social media has made a tremendous difference in how all of this is being handled. You need it, you got it.
My entire family has been so blessed in that we have no issues with the flood damage. For awhile Dick and I did not have water. We are still under a boil water advisory. My daughter-in-law's work area has probably sustained some flood damage. My son's employers have had some flood damage. My daughter is fine and was back to work this morning. My sisters and their families are all dry and in good shape. Pat's husband works for AT&T and is helping with recovery. Her daughter works with our local food bank and they are doing a remarkable job. We have been so blessed.
I have been trying to spend time in my studio working on some quilts, but, my heart is just not in it. I will be spending the next day or so just trying to 'get my head straight'. (My Daddy would be so proud of me using that phrase) You don't have to have gotten wet for this stuff not to effect your thought process. One of the things that I will do tomorrow is to turn off the TV and not watch any of the news. I have an appointment for a hair cut, so will try to get that done. Would love to 'go to lunch', but with a boil water advisory, I don't really trust the restaurants with the necessary sanitary practices.
Lost my train of thought.
My Grandchildren are out of school again tomorrow. Pretty soon we will try to all get together because we need too. This will pass. We will survive. The 'one day at a time' is the mantra right now. We welcome your prayers.
If you would like to offer your help, I would appreciate your contributions to Harvest Hope Food Bank.........because I know exactly where that money goes. You can do that on line at http://www.harvesthope.org/columbia . My sister's daughter works there so I know that your dollars will be well spent and will go directly to relief at this time and in the future.
Thanks for letting me vent. Sometime you just need to do that.
6 comments:
I am happy that you have a place to vent. Destruction is a hard thing to handle, and being in the middle of it all, first hand, is very different than just hearing about it. Experiences like this are very traumatic, and they disrupt our brains while we process and try to maintain normalcy. It is a good thing that your family is fine. A definite blessing, as life is the most important thing. And although it is hard, try not to feel bad that you have survived unscathed except for small inconveniences.
Feel free to vent, and keep us up to date. I am all ears! :)
Hugs , Nan Fishpaw
(Sew Easy To Quilt)
I think most of us have similar feelings. My damage was minimal compared to so many others. I was able to stay in my home and just have to be patient and wait for the insurance adjuster to get to me and hopefully get the repair people I want in a timely fashion before more rain and winter set in. I am so grateful that I was spared the devastation I've seen throughout the midlands. I too am amazed at the "can do" spirit of the people of South Carolina. The outpouring of assistance from not only those who suffered no damage, but those who have lost family members this past week, just stepping up to help where they can. May all be richly blessed by our Creator.
Having had the experience that you are now enduring, I write only to reassure you that there WILL BE an end to what you currently feel. The feelings of helplessness in the aftermath of a flood are unfathomable. I was involved in the floods in the southern tier of NY in '06 and '11. The '100 year floods' that came twice in 5 years. I cannot express the emotions I felt at that time, perhaps because I'm not a talented enough writer, but more likely because the area has rebounded and moved on. The water will eventually recede, the people will regain their balance, and the community will find a new sense of 'normal,' some of which could not have happened without the flood.
I grieve for those who lost their lives.
I rejoice for those who will come together with others in ways they never knew they could before the flood.
I wish you peace in the days ahead......
Thanks for posting pictures and keeping the news flowing. I don't have access to much info here in Florida and am concerned about my old neighborhood, which was under an evacuation notice. I loved the area for its system of lakes and watersheds which was, of course, its undoing. I also have been on edge and unable to concentrate on work. If you anything about the neighborhood (forest Lake) please let me know.
Ellen Simon in not so sunny Florida.
Ellen, I don't have your email address, but, this is what I am trying to send you:
Your old house is fine. However, it did sustain a fire several weeks ago and Anne and her husband are currently living in another house in the neighborhood. To see Forest Drive and Trenholm Road would really make you sad. The neighborhood behind there are devastated and will take years of renewal. I have not heard anything from Donna, and she would have been hit from both sides with roads washing out. The area of Jackson Blvd and Devine, which had really become a ‘hub’ of niceness was inundated with water. That road is closed and will probably remain that way until they can repair bridges.
On the bright side: Five Points sustained little damage.
The major damage was in the Gills Creek water shed. We all tend to forget that these dams were built to prevent flooding like this, but, it was just to much rain in to short a period of time.
Hope you are well. I continue to quilt and now own 2 longarms. The retreat is still going and the favorite time for everyone to go is still February.
Take care,
Joyce Greer
if it is ok i am going to share your post and emphasize the donation site.
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