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! 

The flood of 2016 - Haughton, Louisiana, Part I

"The forecast is for heavy rains Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday; well, let's just say the whole week. It's going to be a gully washer, as they say. Some storms may become severe with heavy thunder and cloud to ground lightning as well as flash flooding will be possible. The atmosphere is ripe for the formation of funnel clouds, and the entire area is under a tornado watch. Stay tuned for details from our storm team." 

It's nothing we haven't heard before. After all, it's March in Louisiana, and this is the norm for this time of year. Nothing to be worried about. We've got our weather radios, batteries, water and other necessities. But, no one could have prepared us for what followed. 

I'm living in a 5th wheel trailer in a local RV park while trying to sell my house in the Tall Timbers subdivision, located in Haughton, Louisiana, and get ready to travel. I've lived in this area for 20 years, and it is my home. It's where I raised my children, and many of my friends and family are still here.

I'll never get used to the sudden change of weather, and especially tornados that are common in the springtime in Louisiana. The night of the storm, I was working at a local tutoring center; I finished my shift at 6:30 pm. The storm had been going on for a couple of hours and the intensity was severe with hard, pounding rains that my windshield wipers could not keep up with. Thankfully, I was driving a large pickup truck, making it easier to maneuver the sudden pools of water on the roadways. The lightning lit up the sky and the thunder sent shudders through my body as I gripped the steering wheel, praying for a safe trip. It was a scary 8 mile drive that should have taken about 15 minutes, but instead took more than twice that long. Rather than go directly to the RV, I went to my daughter's house.  Because of the forecast, I had packed a bag, planning to stay with her overnight; I had already dropped my dog off at her house. It's not because I anticipated what was about to happen, but because I'm that person that freaks out when tornados are in the forecast. Yep I'm that person whom you will find in a middle room, usually huddled in a closet, or in the bathroom; sometimes taking cover in the bathtub with the kids and animals, protecting our bodies with blankets and sometimes a mattress. I've even been known to don a helmet in especially severe weather. During tornado outbreaks I'm glued to the tv news weather station and follow each funnel cloud formation. When they advise to take cover, I don't hesitate.

At my daughter's house, the ceiling was leaking, water already breaching the property. She had three roof leaks and buckets were strategically placed to catch the rainwater. We watched as the water began to pool in the yards and the houses across the street began to take in water. We were only a few hours into a forecast that predicted stormy weather and rain for the next 5 days. Finally, around midnight I told my daughter that I was going to go check on the house in Tall Timbers. She wouldn't let me go alone, so her and I got in my truck and drove the 1 1/2 miles to my house. The water was rising, but everything looked ok. It wouldn't be that way when we returned in the morning.


Click the following link to read "The flood of 2016, ...Part II".

Weekend fun at Hilltop RV Park in Princeton LA

We are getting the used RV that we purchased four months ago ready to haul to our next Workamping assignment. In the meantime, we're hooked up in Hilltop RV park in Princeton, LA near Shreveport. It's peaceful and quiet and surrounded by tall trees. There are hiking trails and a small lake stocked with fish.

This weekend I invited the kids and grandkids out and we enjoyed the great outdoors in 72 degree temperatures and sunshine. If you want a quiet place with reasonable rates that can accommodate small or large rigs, including several pull throughs, this is a nice place to visit.

 

 

Happy Mardi Gras

MARDI GRAS  

When you think of Mardi Gras, what comes to mind? New Orleans, floats, beads, costumes, queens and kings, masks, king cakes, parades, and revelry, no doubt. Let me tell you what I know about Mardi Gras. I've lived in Louisiana for twenty years and can sum it up in one word, PARTY! OK, that's not really true, but it comes very close. In truth, Mardi Gras itself is a one day holiday and is on the calendar as the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, but the entire season has evolved to be called Mardi Gras by most revelers. It, however, is not the entire season as we like to think; the season is called Carnival, and is celebrated worldwide in cities such as Nice, France; Cologne, Germany and Rio de Janeiro.

Carnival begins on the Feast of Epiphany or the twelfth night (January 6^th) and ends at midnight on Fat Tuesday, determined by the date of Easter. It celebrates the arrival of the three kings at Jesus' birthplace, thus ending the Christmas season.¹ The gifts that the kings brought with them may be the reason for the gifts of the Mardi Gras season, trinkets such as cups, beads and doubloons. But the tradition of throwing trinkets during parades began in the 1870's by the Twelfth Night Revelers and remains a time honored tradition in New Orleans. The parade goers traditionally scream “Throw Me Something, Mister” to plead for the trinkets, and in New Orleans and other cities, women often bare their breasts to show themselves deserving and to garner the attention of the throwers. For good, family oriented Mardi Gras, Shreveport is a great option.  The Krewe of Sobek starts off the season with their annual parade. They are dedicated to bringing the Mardi Gras experience to the inner city.  Their goals are to support organizations that provide a helpful hand to those in need within our community, take part in charitable and non-political civic causes, provide fellowship among members of the community and participate in various parades and celebrations in the Louisiana area. Next, the Krewe of Harambee take to the streets for their annual Mardi Gras/MLK Day Parade.  The Krewe of Harambee's goal is to increase minority participation during the Mardi Gras season and support charitable organizations. The annual Highland Parade is well known as a kid friendly event. And, who wouldn't want to participate in the annual Barkus and Meow event, designed especially for our four legged friends? Two large parades in Shreveport are the Krewe of Centaur and the Krewe of Gemini ; both boast a more raucous crowd, but also have designated family areas along the route. 

Not surprisingly, Mardi Gras has its roots in paganism of the ancient Greeks and Romans celebrating fertility rites, but it was adopted by the Catholic church as a way to prepare the people for Lent. The leaders of the church quickly realized that it would be easier to allow some type of traditional festivals rather than abolish them altogether, while still bringing the people to Christianity. So they acquiesced to this period of raucousness.

During Medieval festivals, participants donned costumes, and that tradition continues today. The first American Mardi Gras was celebrated near New Orleans in 1899, therefore, New Orleans became the obvious city to host modern day celebrations, and they continue to be the main American host city for parties and parades. But, the celebrations are taking hold across the United States and moving to northern Louisiana and east and west across the Gulf states. The larger Louisiana cities such as Lafayette, Baton Rouge and Shreveport are all areas with full Mardi Gras schedules. It should be noted that the city does not put on the events, they just issue the parade permits. Events are put on and funded by private organizations, called Krewes. These Krewes select royalty, hold balls (usually closed to the public), and often organize the massive parades.

Purple, Green and Gold symbolizing Justice, Faith and Power are the official colors of Mardi Gras and were selected by the Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff of Russia when he visited New Orleans in 1872. A little known fact is that the colors he chose impacted the colors of two arch rival Louisiana College football teams. The stores stocked up on fabric for the official Mardi Gras colors, and Louisiana State University purchased a large amount of the purple and gold colors leaving only the green in stock. Tulane University then chose the green for their uniforms, and today their colors are green and white.

The King Cake, on the other hand, has its roots in the fact that the wise men brought gifts to baby Jesus. The King Cake is a sweet yeast cake covered in poured sugar in the Mardi Gras colors and usually has a plastic baby hidden inside. Long ago the queen was selected by which lady found the baby in the cake. In modern day, the tradition is that the person who finds the baby has to buy the next King Cake or host the next King Cake party. In recent years, cakes no longer have the baby hidden; that's something you have to do yourself.  In the days of law suits and frivolous litigation, company's are not willing to bear the burden of such a threat, so they just lay the baby on top.  They've also made it much larger than it was in years past, to decrease the risk of accidentally swallowing the plastic trinket. 

As for floats and parades; in 1833 a wealthy plantation owner near New Orleans solicited money to help finance an organized Mardi Gras celebration, and in 1837 the first parade was held. But, it wasn't until two years later in 1839 that one single float rolled through the streets of New Orleans during Mardi Gras and thus began the tradition of floats in the parades.²

^{Mardi Gras comes to a close in Shrevport-Bossier City tonight when the Krew of Aesclepius parade rolls through the Louisiana Boardwalk and revelers later meet on the Texas Street Bridge for a final toast.  The Krewe of Aesclepius parade begins at 7 pm at the Boardwalk.  At midnight, revelers will gather on the bridge for an Ash Wednesday ceremony that will mark the beginning of Lent.  There will be champagne, followed by a closing prayer by a priest.} 

I hope you've enjoyed your history lesson and take the time to peruse the websites listed in the footnotes to learn more about this season rich in tradition.  And, as you're making travel plans for 2017, consider Shreveport for Mardi Gras.  Happy Mardi Gras!

1http://www.nola.com/mardigras/about/index.ssf?/mardigras/about/content/history.html

2Http://www.novareinna.com/festive/mardi.html