The flood of 2016 - Haughton, Louisiana, Part II

Things are a little crazy in this part of the world and so many people have lost so much. Today marks one week since the flood of 2016 reigned (pun intended) down on my hometown. Stories of survival, sacrifice, death, heartbreak, overwhelming obstacles, unwielding stress, and friends, neighbors, family, and community coming together to support each other remain in the news. 

As I said in the precursor to this series of blog posts, The flood of 2016 - Haughton, Louisiana, Part I, "no one could have prepared us for what happened". I bought my house in the Tall Timbers subdivision, Haughton, Louisiana in 1996 when I was transferred to Barksdale Air Force Base in nearby Bossier City by the military. Each year in the spring, the cold air would collide with the warm air in the atmosphere and cause severe thunderstorms, hail, tornadoes, and even flooding. We watched helplessly as the first 10 or so houses in the subdivision flooded and the entrance to the subdivision was blocked by water forced out of Fifi Bayou and into the street. Year after year, the same houses flooded and we watched as our neighbors cleaned up the mess after the storms. And, year after year residents pleaded with the city, parish and state to do something about the flooding in Tall Timbers. Finally, their tenacity proved fruitful. A levy was constructed in 2003 that would provide added protection to the Tall Timbers properties from all but the most severest deluge of water. And it worked for thirteen years, until 2016, when what can only be described as a "tsunami" of water came so hard and fast that it flowed over the levy and into the subdivision. Over 25 homes were completely devastated. As I drove through the subdivision with my daughter early Tuesday morning, after a night of rains that totaled over 10 inches, I was completely overcome by emotions. In the 20 years that I have lived here, I had never seen the flood waters this bad. The Sheriff's Department were on scene and the news stations were recording the events. They interviewed a family who said they went to bed oblivious to what was going on outside, thinking it was just a normal spring thunderstorm event. The father woke up in the early morning hours and told his family that the downstairs was beginning to flood. Within the hour the water was halfway up the front door, and a rescue was taking place. The little boat traveled across their yard and in the front door where they fished out the children first and then the rest of the family. When we arrived on the scene the family was standing on the side of the road under useless umbrellas as the rain continued to hail down. There were trashcans, garbage, and other debris floating in the flood waters and coming to rest at the edge of the water line. It was all a little bit surreal. 

We were unable to make our normal left turn because houses were flooded as far as the eye could see, so we made a right turn and took a circuitous route to our destination. Fortunately, our home was once again free from the encroaching water. We checked the inside for any damage, and satisfied that none existed, we locked the door and traveled to the other end of the street where the water was still consuming houses coming closer and closer to us. The rains were relentless and we wondered, would our home be next? Fortunately, the water eventually receded, but not before it left a path of destruction never seen before. Whether we live full time in an RV or in a brick home doesn't seem to matter. Mother Nature can hit any time, anywhere, and without warning. Visit the Red Cross or CDC for comprehensive disaster preparedness plans so you will be ready should a natural disaster or emergency situation arise. If you want to be entertained while making your plan, visit the "Survive a Zombie Apocalypse" page of the CDC website. Seriously, the introduction to suriving the zombie apocalypse goes like this:

 "There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That’s right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency."

Thanks for reading. Be sure to follow my blog as I travel the country in my RV, livin' the life!