no time to build a fucking arc

I left work yesterday at about 5:15/5:20. The rain was torrential. When I drove down our street, the creek was pretty high, but not at street level. We've seen it that high before. No big deal.

Except that the rain wouldn't let up.

About 5:45/5:50, I just happened to look out the back window. Back yard looked like it was flooded. I couldn't tell if the water was coming out of the creek or not. it was enough water to freak me out. When I checked out the front of the house, the creek had come out of its banks and the water was making its way toward our house.

i started moving everything I could on top of other stuff. I moved the Precious to the top of the computer desk in the office. dismantled all the A/V equipment moved it to the computer desk. That took about 10 minutes.

By the time I looked out the window again, the water was up past the bottom of the door on the green civic, up to the first step on our front porch, and had filled the whole bottom of the garage.

I called steph, told her not to drive anywhere near our house (fortunately, she had the good car), then started packing the laptops, xbox and get the leashes on the dogs.

About 6:15, Steph called and said she was here. I opened the door to take her the dogs. when i stepped off the front porch with Ripley in my arms, the water hit me right above the knees. I went back for Fletcher and whatever else I could carry, then we took that load to the gray civic.

headed back to the house again. water was hitting me upper thigh as I waded toward the door. got the xbox. We packed some suitcases. Grabbed the wedding photos and file boxes with all our important docs in them. The clothes we packed made no sense. Every time we checked outside, the water was higher. Took that load of stuff to the car. that was about all we had time for. The water had crested the top of our front porch at that point and was creeping toward the threshold of the front door.

I kept thinking of ways to get the TV out, but couldn't. mostly because it was the worst thunderstorm I've ever been in. Lightning kept ripping the sky and the rain was nearly solid. I went and asked the neighbor across the street if she had a tarp (she didn't).

I went back in the house one last time to get a picture of the computer desk with all the electronics on it (they are the most expensive things in our house, after all). Standing in the office, i could hear the water gurgling in the air conditioning vents. the power still hadn't gone out and the A/C was still trying to run, even though it was underwater.

I walked through the living room, stepped into the water on the porch, then turned and locked the door.

When I stepped off the porch that time, the water stopped just below my belt. that's the last time I saw the house.

I know we lost two cars. Not sure what all we lost in the house yet (past the a/c and the hardwood floors), but even six inches would ruin most the furniture.

So until further notice, we're homeless.

And now, we're heading back to check out the damage. I hope the water is down enough for us to get in.

out.