Thursday, September 20, 2012
Our Hurricane Isaac Experience
Sunday: 8/26/12. Isaac Is In The Gulf.
We (Deb and I) went to breakfast at our new Panera, and then shopped blissfully thinking the storm was heading for the Florida panhandle. We did notice that people in Lowe's were buying OMG supplies and thought they were just freaking out for nothing as most people do anyway.
Monday: 8/27/12. Isaac Expected To Be Here Tuesday Evening.
I got up early and drove to work as normal but it didn't stay that way. Rumors at work had started. "We're closing at one," was first. Turns out, that was the plan - but 'IT' decided to start the shut down process of the servers at 10 AM. No servers, no work to do. Until then, work as usual. We got the word that the plant would be closed for Tuesday and Wednesday and to report for work Thursday. At 8 AM, I called Deb to inform her on conditions and ask her to fill up the gas can and car and that I would be there that afternoon. I was home in Waggaman by 10:30 and started securing what I could outside. Inside the house was the usual prep for this sort of thing. Shut down and un-plug, check windows and doors, pack clothes and then empty the fridge and freezer and leave. By noon I was on the road.
Deb had finished mowing around the house this morning and Tupelo Bamboo looked wonderful and green. Tupelo Bamboo is the name we gave to our 'new to us' residence on the Tangipahoa river. We spent the rest of the day getting ready for the impending storm. We still did not know if we were going to be on the west or east side of the eye or dead center. We had a fitful sleep.
Tuesday: 8/28/12. Isaac Has Slowed.
I was up before light and went to check the NOAA web site and the storm maps. It's still in the gulf. As light filled the house, I pulled out the coffee maker from its cabinet and dropped it. Broken glass and plastic now covered the kitchen floor. The loud crash and choice words got Deb out of bed to ask if I was OK. Yep, I was OK. After the clean-up I found the spare 4 cup coffee maker. We made three brews to fill the thermos.
Deb, not used to caffeine and having a large cup this morning, started cleaning house. She vacuumed nooks and crannies and I did the large areas. The kitchen twice.
After breakfast we made one last trip to Robert, La. to the 'Dollar General' and bought their last coffee maker. We hit the supermarket next for grapefruit and two boxes of cake mix and two cans of icing. After all, hurricanes need good comfort food right and we were invited to dinner at Rhett and Julie's this evening. We had dessert covered.
Our down-river neighbors, Tony and Heather, decided to bug out early. We got to chat a bit as they were coming out. They weren't going too far but it was higher land and away from the river.
Isaac has not made landfall yet. We decided to get the generator into position and try a test run. What the heck now. It won't run in the 'RUN' position, only on choke. We tried a few things and then called Pops for advice. After three calls and cleaning the carb and float and adjusting the idle, we got it to run. Yeah! But the on/off switch knob fell off and Deb found some mysterious tiny metal part that had just appeared. Hmmm?
The power suddenly went out this afternoon and there was hardly any wind right now. We were surprised. Turns out that a rotten old pine tree had fallen across the road down by Rhett's and he was just about to pull out of his driveway towards it. A few seconds separated him from being crushed. He called 911 right away because a fire started in the woods right off. Soon the firetrucks and power company trucks were there and with in a few hours restored our power. Yea!
Deb fixed up a great salad and we made a two layer chocolate cake with icing. For some reason, humidity maybe, it had stability problems and later became known as the 'crumby cake'. It was still very yummy indeed. We went to dinner where Rhett grilled chicken and lemon fish. Along with that there was steamed kale, Deb's salad and crab stuffed peppers. Some were HOT! Jenny and Gary came over. Gator didn't get the 'time' message so he didn't show up but he was tending the slow cooking of some pork butt (20 pounds!). Before we left, Rhett offered the use of one of his chainsaws. It was a new 18" Husquvarna. Mine wasn't starting. When we went home in our Toyota, Deb stopped short of where she usually parks. She even backed up some. I joked that now if a tree fell it wouldn't hit both vehicles at least.
We took advantage of having power and cable and watched some 'Dr. Who' on Netflix. I crashed early.
Wednesday: 8/29/12. Katrina Anniversary. Isaac Finally Makes Landfall.
We both woke up just as the power went out at about 2 AM. I think there was a boom close enough to wake us. We weren't awake for long though. I woke up early again and took a look see around outside the house. Looking out the front door this morning I saw that there was a fairly large 4" by 12 feet long branch was laying on the ground exactly where Deb usually parks. Whew, that was lucky. How does she do that?
Wind and rain are now coming in bands. Sometimes the trees are bending sideways along with the rain. But then, calmness. We decided it was time to start the generator after we figured out a good place for it. Breathing exhaust fumes is not a good idea. Deb found our small metal rolling platform and we secured the generator to it and rolled them into place beneath the front stairs. Just as we were doing this, a large tree fell across the road. The tree fell from the far side towards us and completely blocked our way out. It was just to the left of our gate, looking from the house.
The weather really isn't too bad for now and we had heard that Isaac has stalled over Houma. During a break in the rain I walked up to Gator's. He still had power and he had the weather channel on. Isaac was moving again but very slowly to the northwest. We weren't going to get the eye but we were still on the bad side. I told him about the tree and he started getting ready to come down the road and help us clear it. Before we left though, we took a break to wait for a weather break. I had taken a pain pill earlier and for some reason I bummed one of Gator's menthol cigarettes. I had not had one in twenty years so of course I got quite a buzz. We figured the time was as good as any so we took off. I ran Rhett's saw and Deb and Gator cleared the limbs. Soon we had the road open again. He came in for some coffee. Deb and I had some crumby cake. Deb ask me to go to Rhett and Julie's to use their phone to report our power outage so I gave Gator a ride home along the way. They still had power, too. Isaac is moving towards Baton Rouge at four miles per hour.
Gator invited us over for dinner for some of his slow cooked pork butt. Rhett and Julie soon showed up and we all enjoyed some wonderful pulled pork before the power went out just before dark. We hung out for awhile on his deck until the weather started getting worse. Deb suggested we park the Toyota up by Rhett and Julie's on high ground for the night. Another good idea. We enjoyed a wonderful evening at home with candles, battery-powered LED lights, and cool breezes.
Thursday: 8/30/12. Getting The SW Bands Of Isaac.
I was up at 4:30 AM so I grabbed the flashlight and took a look out the front door. OMG! We had had a flash flood over night and the truck was sitting in water up to the bottom of the doors. I panicked and woke Deb saying "we gotta go! Now!" and I started packing. Deb, always cool, figured that if the water is this high already then it was too late to get out because the road would be much deeper. Two feet deeper. She was right - and I tried to calm down but I was now thinking that we are going to lose the truck because the water is going to get much deeper for sure. The winds had backed up the lake and along with high tide and 26 plus inches of rain in 24 hours, it caused all the water to pool up in the swamps where we were. As the day progressed we saw the water come up some more, and then start to drop very slowly by mid day. That was a good sign. High point was about an inch over the slab downstairs so we decided to lug the generator upstairs while we could. We put it on our screened-in porch near the front of the house, and ran the cords through an old hole in the screen and then through the front doors.
Since there was water everywhere now, we decided to go canoeing up the road. The canoe was wedged between two piles of oak planks and I had to wrestle it out. We took off from our front stairs and paddled out the gate. We turned left and passed the fallen tree on our way up the road/water way. The water was calm and it was easy going. We noticed that Gator's truck was not in his driveway, but as we paddled by we heard him ask if we were just out exploring. We saw him lounging under his house that is on very tall pilings. He had moved his truck to Sylvia's, which is high ground a mile or two up the highway and further from the river. I told I didn't think I would be able to get the truck out before it got real deep back there.
Earlier in the morning we heard that the dam at Percy Quinn State Park was in "imminent danger of collapse". This is the headwaters to our river and the dam holds back a 700-acre lake. If all that water is added to what we already are having to deal with then we would see a much deeper flood. A 'mandatory evacuation' was now in effect for those along the river pretty much all the way north up to the state line.
We paddled on to the end of our gravel road/water way. Here there is a short 2 feet rise to the start of the paved road which is also high ground for this area. This is also where Rhett and Julie's driveway connects, and where the old rotted pine tree chunks and trunk lay around next to the road. Julie was just driving out. She was panicky about the dam and they were moving their vehicles to Sylvia's too. Our Toyota was in their yard so Deb moved it to the high spot on the paved road.
Just as we were leaving we noticed Tony coming down the road. He pulled into Jenny and Gary's driveway. We went over to see what was up. He was going to wade back to his place to check on things, so we gave him a ride back as far as we could. A large section of our bamboo was leaning over the road and touching the ground near his gate. We could not go any further. He got out in crotch-deep water and waded on the rest of the way as light rain was still falling in bands.
While we were coming back in with Tony, I checked the depth of the road in few places. It was about 30 inches, I figured, at worse. When Deb and I got back to the house I told her that I thought I could get the truck out. She cautioned against it but it just got the best of me. Rescue Remedy to the rescue! I had to try. The water was down 4 inches from this morning. This would be the best time and there were no cross currents in the deep part. The truck started right up and sounded good. I had to do a multi-point turn around in a small area of the high part of the driveway. Once I was lined up I headed for the gate, made the left turn and started pushing a wall of water . Slowly I kept pushing and I could hear the motor running faster and faster as I kept a steady pace pushing the wall. The bow wake was even with the top of the hood and 30 yards down the road the water was starting to wet the floor mats, but I was moving. Almost there, just another 30 yards to the end right by Ella May and Melvin's. There, I started climbing out of it and the truck sounded good and I could let off some now. Soon I was to a high spot but still in a foot of water when I picked up an old fellow who was wading out. There was just one more short, deep spot, but not nearly as deep as what I had just gone through and then we were on the paved road. I parked right behind the Toyota and on some of the branches that almost got Rhett. I knew then we could get out if need be and I was thinking it was time. I started my wade back to Tupelo just wearing water shoes, shorts, a T, and a resolve to leave.
I stopped by Ella May and Melvin's to see how they were doing, and ask if they knew about the dam. They both came to the door glad to see me. They were up on what was going on and Ella May said the water was dropping fast now and Melvin said that even if the dam broke that by the time it would get here it would spread out to the swamps south of I-12 and have little effect on the water levels. They were staying and thinking it might be several days before we got the crest here. I told them what we were doing and that I thought it would be a good idea to move their cars but they weren't quite ready yet. My resolve to leave had faded. I wasn't sure where to go anyway.
Their generator was running non-stop now and they seemed to be doing just fine. They thanked me for stopping by and I waded on. Out in the road the water was just below my waist. I noticed a few of our posts were floating out and down the road so I started gathering them just as Tony was coming out. He helped me float and guide the posts to a place I could secure them. Tony's cell phone seemed to be working pretty well, ours weren't, so Deb ask to use it. She called her mom to calm her down and tell her everything was OK.
We settled in for an easy afternoon. I caught a much needed nap and Deb read for awhile. The storm has passed and the day was calm and cool. Deb swept the deck. Later we needed to run the generator for awhile to recharge the fridge and charge up our phones and camera batteries, and to make dinner and listen to the news and play some music. We heard the dam was still holding and they were trying their best up there to hold it, or create controlled releases. Around 7:30 we shut it down and went to candles and LED lights and I started this log.
Deb actually went to bed before me for once. I was up late and then only slept until 4 AM. I checked the water level and it was starting to rise. I started another Sudoku and it was very hard. I had to come back to it a few times. This was one of many that kept my mind busy and out of the flood event going on around us.
Friday: 8/31/12. We're An Island In The Swamp.
At daylight I finished the Sudoku and started writing again. Deb was up soon and we fired up the gen' and started breakfast. Deb made microwave scrambled eggs in small bowls with cheese on top. Yummy. As we were eating breakfast the radio voice announced that there was now no threat of the dam collapsing. YEA! High fives!
Next we started cleaning the back deck. Deb scrubbed a few mildewy steps and deck boards and I rinsed them with easy to reach flood water. My brother Phil and his wife Mary got through on the cell. We were surprised. They called the rest of the fam for us to let them know we were fine and doing well. We also got a weather report and a check call to the house in Waggaman. Nothing yet.
We kept cleaning. We had a wood pile up on the deck that had gotten rotten so we decided to chunk it into the flood. We had to throw it one piece at a time far enough to get them into the main stream of the river which was moving at a pretty good clip. The larger logs took some effort to make the 10-12 foot toss off the deck.
I had heard something crash or collapse downstairs earlier and it was time to investigate. Deb had been out earlier and had rescued a trash can and secured the side door. I donned my wading clothes and went in again. It was cold at first and deepest at the foot of the stairs. While I was down there and securing a few things I heard one of Deb's battery powered princess wands go off. "Chir-ring br-ring" from somewhere. A few minutes later I heard it again. "Chir-ring br-ring." I would of ROTFLMAO but I might of drowned. I search for them and found a bucket full of these things and half full of water. I pulled them out and drained the bucket and set it up high out of the water. "Chir-ring br-ring," went another one.
I heard a boat motor getting closer. It was Gator coming up the road to check on us. He had launched right off of his trailer under his house. We tied him off at the foot of our front steps. He said he had been watching the water come up slowly all morning. It was about twenty inches deeper now where the truck had been the day before. We got a text from Julie that the water was well below the wheel centers on both vehicles where they are now, but it was covering the road. I was concerned about them because the flood had not crested. Gator said he'd take me to check on them.
Along our way we motored up to Ella May and Melvin's front steps. They had not taken their two vehicles out soon enough. They were both sitting in about 30" of water, or more than half way up the doors. Melvin said that the river was going to crest only six more inches at Robert tomorrow. To him that meant only about 4 inches deeper here. But the water is still rising. We left them an airhorn if they needed help. Melvin said that he'd just use his gun and we agreed that three shots would be the signal to come. Next we motored over to the next neighbors to secure their boat and trailer. A girl from the next door down yelled at us about that being such and such's boat. We assured her we were just securing things and that even if we wanted to steal it, we couldn't move it anyway. Next we stopped at Gator's to pick up his large ice chest with meat and stuff that needed to be cooked. He was taking it to Rhett's for grill night. We pulled in right under his house and loaded up. Away we went up the road/water way and past the two huge oak trees that had fallen across the road and were stretching the power lines almost to the ground. The poles on each side were leaning in from the strain. Gator skillfully got us past that as we fought a strong cross current but made it to the paved road where we had to get out to walk the boat over to Rhett's front steps. They came out to greet us. While I was there I got a call from our friend Butch. The cell signal was strong here so I called my brother Phil in Ohio to get on his computer to check on the flood gauge at Robert to see what they expected to happen. It was good news. Late Saturday they expected the crest there to be at 23.5', only .7 feet. (8 1/2" or so) more from the present reading which meant we could expect the crest here early Sunday morning. It also meant that after it hits the swamps south of I-12 it would only come up about 5-6 inches. The cars were going to be OK where they were. Yea!
Gator wasn't looking forward to dealing with the cross currents in the road so he decided we'd take the river back. Next to Rhett's property is a pond that connects to the river so we walked the boat to deeper water to launch in a finger pond off the bigger one. We took off and immediately found our way blocked by some thick floating water weeds. Gator tried to power through it but we just went on top of it and stopped at about a boat length in. There were no trees to grab near by. Gator tried reaching with his push pole but it wasn't working. I even tried to rope some small limbs but it wasn't working ether. We decided to use the motor in reverse to pull us out but that meant pulling a lot of weeds out of the way. We worked on that for while and then tried our escape. We got about a foot. We cleared some more water weeds and this time we were successful. We drifted back into the finger pond and turned around to take the road way back. The current is coming across the road from right to left at a good clip and right were we entered the road way was a huge clump of vines on the right. Gator had to get around them on the left. The current just past it was too strong and we got pushed into the trees to the left. The trees were right next to road but between them and the road was a long pile of large chunks of concrete placed there by the parish to keep the road from washing out. Well, we pushed off from the trees and Gator powered up and suddenly we hit something and we hit it hard. Bam! We were back into the trees again. We hit the concrete. We tried again and once again 'bam' and back to the trees. We had managed to gain a few yards and there was gap in the trees where we could move the boat around better. Gator got in the water and tried to grab a small clump of something growing in the pile of concrete brick-brack but the current was too much. We drifted back a bit and got stabilized and took a break to think about this for a minute. We noticed a smooth area of water crossing our barrier and determined it would be deep enough there to motor through to get out. We pointed the boat as best we could and powered on. The bow went through but the current pushed it too much to the left and 'BAM' we hit again. We drifted back in. This time we were going to power directly against the current across the road and then pull a hard left as soon as we cleared the dam. This time it worked and we on our way again. Soon we pulled up to the front steps at Tupelo where Deb met us. We told her all about it. Gator soon discovered that he had a pocket full of soaked cigarettes and now needed to go back home. Rhett and Julie were having another dinner get together that evening and Gator said he'd come pick us up at five. On the river side. Deb and I kept busy until then.
At five, Gator pulled up to the back steps and we climbed in loaded with a flashlight, machete, cell phones and chargers. It was a very nice, slow putt up the river as we commented on all the effects the flooding was having on trees and neighbors. When got into the pond we took a canal to the left side of Rhett's where we could easily tie up and step out onto dry land. It was an old dirt pile ridge. We still had to wade over to their front steps but it was only knee deep. Rhett fired up the grill while standing in knee deep water and cooked up a feast. We pigged out on pork chops, rib-eye, deer sausage and more pulled pork butt. Jenny and Gary were invited but they weren't too keen on the wading part and didn't come over. Julie decided to take them something and I ask her to get my boots from the back of our truck as she passed back by. I was thinking she would be empty handed. She came out from J and G's carrying a twenty pack of beer and still she went to fetch my boots. Such a sweetie. She lugged it all back and I took her heavy load as soon as she got to the stairs. She was puffing, and beet red, but she did it.
The day was nearing twightlight and Deb said she preferred not to go home in the dark but Gator needed to check on his bike which was in J and G's garage. He wanted to raise it a bit, too. While we were there, we helped them carry their generator up to their front porch. All this took a little longer than we thought, and it was going to be dark for the ride home. This didn't phase Gator in the least and we had a wonderful ride back. The sky was cloudy but the moon was full as Gator got us home without lights except for docking. Soon he was back home, too.
Now at home we needed some power so we fired up the generator but it ran for minute and then died. We tried and tried a few things but it was no good so we figured we would just wait until morning and try again. Earlier in the day I had tacked a yard stick to the banister on the first step in front. I started keeping a log. When I put it in place the water was at 25". Now, 9 hours later it was up to 26", and so I figured by morning, or 12 hours later, it would be up another 1 1/2". At 9AM the next morning it was up 1-1/4".
Saturday: 9/1/12. Julie Called, " I Can Still See Your Wheel Centers."
I was up early but Deb slept late and I was glad she did. I went to work on the gen' when Gator pulled up to the back dock stairs and tied off. Deb was up now and a real sport as she waded downstairs a few times to get some tools we needed. Gator motored on back home. So now with all the right tools, we decided to break it down and start just removing things until we could see something wrong. Managed by some miracle to get phone calls through to Pops again. Turned out to be the ground wire so we disconnected it completely from the magneto and reassembled the thing. It fired right up and we were back in the power. Yea!
We noticed two game wardens out front coming up to the house in a mud boat. They were checking the area and asked if we were OK. I mentioned we could use some gas but they didn't have any. They had a call to rescue our neighbors Ella May and Melvin. We gave them directions and off they went. Not more than fifteen minutes later, they were coming back with E and M and a five gallon can of gas for us. We have awesome neighbors out here. E and M decided they needed out because Melvin has a breathing machine and they didn't want to take any more chances. Ella May said later that getting out with those guys was the wildest boat ride that she had ever been on in her many years on the river.
Gator showed up right after that in the front yard this time. Deb made an awesome microwave egg thing for us and we sat on the front steps drinking coffee and watching the water flow by. Even had a visit from a small alligator. I told Gator about the large rat I shot earlier, and showed him the armadillo hanging out in the bushes. He had come by on his way to go downriver to check out Lee's Landing, and asked if we wanted to go along later this afternoon - but for now he was going scavenging. Later he showed up on the river side. We went out with him for a tour of flooded Lee's Landing. It was a beautiful day and we took lots of pictures along the way. We came across a large buck resting on a large fallen tree ball. He was too tired to move. Lee's Landing was, of course, under lots of water and some cars and trailers were flooded in deep. On our way back, we thought we could grab an ice chest that was caught up on the side of the river. I was trying to pull it out when my arm was suddenly covered with ants. I yelped and washed them off as fast as I could but still suffered multiple bites. Deb and Gator thought I got had gotten a snake bite at first. Before we got home I said that I thought I had about 100 bites. The next day I counted 95 and I guess that I've been bitten enough over the years that I had no reaction other than the bites themselves. Yea!
After treating my wounds when we got back, we enjoyed a nice salad while sitting on the deck. We noticed lightning to west as it started to sprinkle. We went in and finished off the crumby cake. That evening the full moon on the night flood waters was just stunningly surreal.
Sunday: 9/2/12. The Water Is Still Here.
I checked the stair gauge twice during the morning and it was steady at 28". It's crested, and now we should see it start falling. All my ant bites have now gotten little bead white heads. Deb is sleeping in again. Gator showed up around 10 AM to ask if I had Ella May's phone number. Sorry, but no. She had ask him to fill up their generator but he couldn't find any gas down there. I showed him my arm and his eyes got real big, "have you counted them yet?" At the time I hadn't, so no. Gator went home to get his phone and call Ella May. After breakfast, Deb and I decided to treat the deck for ants because they seemed to be all over it now. This treatment helped a lot because I was tired of getting bit every time I went out there. Deb said her husband was an ant magnet.
Gator passed back by to let us know Julie wanted to have a Labor Day dinner celebration and that he would be back to pick us up around 2:30 tomorrow and that we could take a hot shower at his place. He has city water and a gas water heater. It would be our first hot shower in a week. Yea!
This evening though, we fired up the gen again and enjoyed a few beers and laying on the floor in front of a fan. It was a real treat from the heat and humidity and the still night air. Later as we started to go to bed the gen' ran out of gas so we left it alone. We'll fill it up in the morning.
Monday: 9/3/12. Down 2 1/2" Over Night.
It's 5:30 AM and I was up to pee and check the water levels for my log. I settled in to write some more. "Chir-ring br-ring!" A wand just fired off again. I had to laugh. Deb had been up during the night but sleeping well now. "Chir-ring br-ring" from the bucket downstairs.
Gator was back early today and Deb was up now. We all had some cereal. On the front steps we enjoyed our coffee and the small alligator swimming by in the tranquil flowing water. Business as usual. Ha. "Chir-ring br-ring."
My cell was working to call out now so I called our neighbor Mary in Waggaman to see how things were. It was all good news. The power had come on early this morning and there was no flooding or wind damage in our area. Yea! Deb got news that the Healing Center had minor damage (none to her business) and power now, too.
After Gator left, we set up the umbrella on the back deck and arranged the chairs and table to fit nicely under it. Later when Gator came back he checked out the new spot with me. It was very relaxing and with the shade and the breeze and comfortable chair, it was hard to get started again. We forced ourselves to load up the boat and head out to the Labor Day eat 'em up at R and J's. All the leftovers were heated up along with some grilled yellow onions that Gator prepared. Oh, so yummy.
Deb and Julie went over to check on the cars. The water was just 4" deep on the road now. We saw Jenny leave in her white SUV and in a short while she called to say she got out just fine. I joined the girls and started clearing washed up debris away when I uncovered a large eel. He took off across the street to a ditch. Deb suggested that now might be a good time to go get some gas so I got our two 5 gallon cans we had brought but suddenly remembered I didn't have my wallet. No money and driver's license. Rhett offered us some cash money and I took him up on it. Gator said he wanted to go, so he and I took off down the road. Most of the Magnolia Dr. paved part was still covered in water, and in some areas it was 2 feet deep, but passable. Once we got to the highway and everything was dry as normal, we realized how surreal it was. From water world to dry world in just a few minutes. We went to the nearest gas station and filled up the 2 gas cans and bought 4 bags of ice like any other day and headed back. We used every dime of the $46 we got from R and J.
Dinner was an awesome stuff fest and Jerry from across the street joined us. The water had dropped a few more inches. Deb was still looking forward to a hot shower, so we loaded up the boat again and went to Gator's at twilight. The water was low enough now that he didn't want to power up to his steps so once over land he jumped out and walked us to his steps. So nice. While we showered he made some coffee and before you knew it we were back in the boat, headed home. It was another wonderful slow ride in the semi-darkness of the full moon and bright stars between the silhouette of the trees on either side.
Gator had asked if we could stop by Ella May and Melvin's and refill their generator along the way, and I was more than happy to. So, in the darkness we tried a glide up to their boat launch but the branches from the nearby trees made it awkward - but we managed. Gator had to get back into the water as I held the boat and handed him the gas. He struggled his way in over who knew what in the yard and did the good deed - and once again Gator skillfully got us to our back stairs. We wished him a good night and he headed home.
We fired up the generator and decided to let 'er run until the gas that was in it ran out. We enjoyed a fan at the foot of the bed while the fridge recovered along with charging everything up. Some time early in the morning it died.
Tuesday: 9/4/12. Down 2 Feet, But Still Deep Out In The Road.
There was a nice cool breeze this morning as Gator waded up to the stairs today. We knocked out 2 pots of coffee sitting on the front steps watching the water and alligator go by. While he was here the water dropped another 1-1/2". He took off with some gas we had left to go refill the neighbors gen' again. I cleaned up the canoe, which had been tied to the steps this whole time so Deb and I could paddle the yard. We collected trash and broke loose some collected branches so they could float on. We went all around the yard and then out to the road and on up to E and M's to take pictures.
We enjoyed the afternoon on the deck reading and writing, listening the birds and other wonderful sounds of nature. It was an awesome calm day. Mostly.
Gator came back in his boat this time on the river side and we got him docked to the back stairs OK.
We said we were getting ready to leave so he offered me a ride to the truck. We felt that the water was low enough now to get in and out with the truck without worry but we were starting to lose daylight. I thought I had been told that it was possible to get past the fallen trees up the road without a problem, but that didn't seem to be the case so I brought Rhett's chainsaw along with us. As we neared Rhett's, I suddenly realized that I didn't have the truck keys. This was about the same time Deb realized that too, so she started wading up the road with them. Gator said he would go get them and I could start clearing the branches. He brought me to Rhett's and then we both took off to work our task. Rhett was outside and ask if everything was OK as I carried his chainsaw across his yard. Yep, everything is just fine. I had to wade in thigh deep water for 80 yards down the road or so and then into shallow water where the trees were. There was an even larger eel laying there on some sand but it had died. I cut the smaller limbs first so I could handle them easier and then worked my way in to the larger ones. It seemed like no time at all and I had the road cleared and I waded back out to wait for Gator to return. He just managed to catch Debra before she got too far. Then he thought I would still be clearing the branches which were right by his house, so he stopped there on his way back, but I was already out. I heard him down the road yelling for me and then I saw him wading my way. Now that I had the keys, I gave him a ride home and then went on home myself. I was able to back up to the stairs and we quickly loaded it up, locked up and drove back out again. We stopped by the Toyota and Deb moved some stuff to the car as I returned an ice chest and the money to our friends.Thanks so much y'all.
The first place we went was the post office to check the PO box and then straight to Wendy's to sit in the cool and eat a big 'ole hamburger and fries and a cold Frosty. Oh, so yummy.
It was getting late and we still had an hour drive ahead so we pushed on. I was looking forward to cool night's sleep and I even looked forward to going to work tomorrow. But, as I walked into the house I was met with a strong mildew smell. Now what? I found that the two bedrooms on one side had wet carpets. We spent the next day dealing with that.
We (Deb and I) went to breakfast at our new Panera, and then shopped blissfully thinking the storm was heading for the Florida panhandle. We did notice that people in Lowe's were buying OMG supplies and thought they were just freaking out for nothing as most people do anyway.
Monday: 8/27/12. Isaac Expected To Be Here Tuesday Evening.
I got up early and drove to work as normal but it didn't stay that way. Rumors at work had started. "We're closing at one," was first. Turns out, that was the plan - but 'IT' decided to start the shut down process of the servers at 10 AM. No servers, no work to do. Until then, work as usual. We got the word that the plant would be closed for Tuesday and Wednesday and to report for work Thursday. At 8 AM, I called Deb to inform her on conditions and ask her to fill up the gas can and car and that I would be there that afternoon. I was home in Waggaman by 10:30 and started securing what I could outside. Inside the house was the usual prep for this sort of thing. Shut down and un-plug, check windows and doors, pack clothes and then empty the fridge and freezer and leave. By noon I was on the road.
Tuesday: 8/28/12. Isaac Has Slowed.
I was up before light and went to check the NOAA web site and the storm maps. It's still in the gulf. As light filled the house, I pulled out the coffee maker from its cabinet and dropped it. Broken glass and plastic now covered the kitchen floor. The loud crash and choice words got Deb out of bed to ask if I was OK. Yep, I was OK. After the clean-up I found the spare 4 cup coffee maker. We made three brews to fill the thermos.
Deb, not used to caffeine and having a large cup this morning, started cleaning house. She vacuumed nooks and crannies and I did the large areas. The kitchen twice.
After breakfast we made one last trip to Robert, La. to the 'Dollar General' and bought their last coffee maker. We hit the supermarket next for grapefruit and two boxes of cake mix and two cans of icing. After all, hurricanes need good comfort food right and we were invited to dinner at Rhett and Julie's this evening. We had dessert covered.
Our down-river neighbors, Tony and Heather, decided to bug out early. We got to chat a bit as they were coming out. They weren't going too far but it was higher land and away from the river.
Isaac has not made landfall yet. We decided to get the generator into position and try a test run. What the heck now. It won't run in the 'RUN' position, only on choke. We tried a few things and then called Pops for advice. After three calls and cleaning the carb and float and adjusting the idle, we got it to run. Yeah! But the on/off switch knob fell off and Deb found some mysterious tiny metal part that had just appeared. Hmmm?
We took advantage of having power and cable and watched some 'Dr. Who' on Netflix. I crashed early.
Wednesday: 8/29/12. Katrina Anniversary. Isaac Finally Makes Landfall.
We both woke up just as the power went out at about 2 AM. I think there was a boom close enough to wake us. We weren't awake for long though. I woke up early again and took a look see around outside the house. Looking out the front door this morning I saw that there was a fairly large 4" by 12 feet long branch was laying on the ground exactly where Deb usually parks. Whew, that was lucky. How does she do that?
The weather really isn't too bad for now and we had heard that Isaac has stalled over Houma. During a break in the rain I walked up to Gator's. He still had power and he had the weather channel on. Isaac was moving again but very slowly to the northwest. We weren't going to get the eye but we were still on the bad side. I told him about the tree and he started getting ready to come down the road and help us clear it. Before we left though, we took a break to wait for a weather break. I had taken a pain pill earlier and for some reason I bummed one of Gator's menthol cigarettes. I had not had one in twenty years so of course I got quite a buzz. We figured the time was as good as any so we took off. I ran Rhett's saw and Deb and Gator cleared the limbs. Soon we had the road open again. He came in for some coffee. Deb and I had some crumby cake. Deb ask me to go to Rhett and Julie's to use their phone to report our power outage so I gave Gator a ride home along the way. They still had power, too. Isaac is moving towards Baton Rouge at four miles per hour.
Thursday: 8/30/12. Getting The SW Bands Of Isaac.
I was up at 4:30 AM so I grabbed the flashlight and took a look out the front door. OMG! We had had a flash flood over night and the truck was sitting in water up to the bottom of the doors. I panicked and woke Deb saying "we gotta go! Now!" and I started packing. Deb, always cool, figured that if the water is this high already then it was too late to get out because the road would be much deeper. Two feet deeper. She was right - and I tried to calm down but I was now thinking that we are going to lose the truck because the water is going to get much deeper for sure. The winds had backed up the lake and along with high tide and 26 plus inches of rain in 24 hours, it caused all the water to pool up in the swamps where we were. As the day progressed we saw the water come up some more, and then start to drop very slowly by mid day. That was a good sign. High point was about an inch over the slab downstairs so we decided to lug the generator upstairs while we could. We put it on our screened-in porch near the front of the house, and ran the cords through an old hole in the screen and then through the front doors.
Since there was water everywhere now, we decided to go canoeing up the road. The canoe was wedged between two piles of oak planks and I had to wrestle it out. We took off from our front stairs and paddled out the gate. We turned left and passed the fallen tree on our way up the road/water way. The water was calm and it was easy going. We noticed that Gator's truck was not in his driveway, but as we paddled by we heard him ask if we were just out exploring. We saw him lounging under his house that is on very tall pilings. He had moved his truck to Sylvia's, which is high ground a mile or two up the highway and further from the river. I told I didn't think I would be able to get the truck out before it got real deep back there.
Earlier in the morning we heard that the dam at Percy Quinn State Park was in "imminent danger of collapse". This is the headwaters to our river and the dam holds back a 700-acre lake. If all that water is added to what we already are having to deal with then we would see a much deeper flood. A 'mandatory evacuation' was now in effect for those along the river pretty much all the way north up to the state line.
We paddled on to the end of our gravel road/water way. Here there is a short 2 feet rise to the start of the paved road which is also high ground for this area. This is also where Rhett and Julie's driveway connects, and where the old rotted pine tree chunks and trunk lay around next to the road. Julie was just driving out. She was panicky about the dam and they were moving their vehicles to Sylvia's too. Our Toyota was in their yard so Deb moved it to the high spot on the paved road.
I stopped by Ella May and Melvin's to see how they were doing, and ask if they knew about the dam. They both came to the door glad to see me. They were up on what was going on and Ella May said the water was dropping fast now and Melvin said that even if the dam broke that by the time it would get here it would spread out to the swamps south of I-12 and have little effect on the water levels. They were staying and thinking it might be several days before we got the crest here. I told them what we were doing and that I thought it would be a good idea to move their cars but they weren't quite ready yet. My resolve to leave had faded. I wasn't sure where to go anyway.
Their generator was running non-stop now and they seemed to be doing just fine. They thanked me for stopping by and I waded on. Out in the road the water was just below my waist. I noticed a few of our posts were floating out and down the road so I started gathering them just as Tony was coming out. He helped me float and guide the posts to a place I could secure them. Tony's cell phone seemed to be working pretty well, ours weren't, so Deb ask to use it. She called her mom to calm her down and tell her everything was OK.
We settled in for an easy afternoon. I caught a much needed nap and Deb read for awhile. The storm has passed and the day was calm and cool. Deb swept the deck. Later we needed to run the generator for awhile to recharge the fridge and charge up our phones and camera batteries, and to make dinner and listen to the news and play some music. We heard the dam was still holding and they were trying their best up there to hold it, or create controlled releases. Around 7:30 we shut it down and went to candles and LED lights and I started this log.
Deb actually went to bed before me for once. I was up late and then only slept until 4 AM. I checked the water level and it was starting to rise. I started another Sudoku and it was very hard. I had to come back to it a few times. This was one of many that kept my mind busy and out of the flood event going on around us.
Friday: 8/31/12. We're An Island In The Swamp.
At daylight I finished the Sudoku and started writing again. Deb was up soon and we fired up the gen' and started breakfast. Deb made microwave scrambled eggs in small bowls with cheese on top. Yummy. As we were eating breakfast the radio voice announced that there was now no threat of the dam collapsing. YEA! High fives!
Next we started cleaning the back deck. Deb scrubbed a few mildewy steps and deck boards and I rinsed them with easy to reach flood water. My brother Phil and his wife Mary got through on the cell. We were surprised. They called the rest of the fam for us to let them know we were fine and doing well. We also got a weather report and a check call to the house in Waggaman. Nothing yet.
We kept cleaning. We had a wood pile up on the deck that had gotten rotten so we decided to chunk it into the flood. We had to throw it one piece at a time far enough to get them into the main stream of the river which was moving at a pretty good clip. The larger logs took some effort to make the 10-12 foot toss off the deck.
I had heard something crash or collapse downstairs earlier and it was time to investigate. Deb had been out earlier and had rescued a trash can and secured the side door. I donned my wading clothes and went in again. It was cold at first and deepest at the foot of the stairs. While I was down there and securing a few things I heard one of Deb's battery powered princess wands go off. "Chir-ring br-ring" from somewhere. A few minutes later I heard it again. "Chir-ring br-ring." I would of ROTFLMAO but I might of drowned. I search for them and found a bucket full of these things and half full of water. I pulled them out and drained the bucket and set it up high out of the water. "Chir-ring br-ring," went another one.
I heard a boat motor getting closer. It was Gator coming up the road to check on us. He had launched right off of his trailer under his house. We tied him off at the foot of our front steps. He said he had been watching the water come up slowly all morning. It was about twenty inches deeper now where the truck had been the day before. We got a text from Julie that the water was well below the wheel centers on both vehicles where they are now, but it was covering the road. I was concerned about them because the flood had not crested. Gator said he'd take me to check on them.
Gator wasn't looking forward to dealing with the cross currents in the road so he decided we'd take the river back. Next to Rhett's property is a pond that connects to the river so we walked the boat to deeper water to launch in a finger pond off the bigger one. We took off and immediately found our way blocked by some thick floating water weeds. Gator tried to power through it but we just went on top of it and stopped at about a boat length in. There were no trees to grab near by. Gator tried reaching with his push pole but it wasn't working. I even tried to rope some small limbs but it wasn't working ether. We decided to use the motor in reverse to pull us out but that meant pulling a lot of weeds out of the way. We worked on that for while and then tried our escape. We got about a foot. We cleared some more water weeds and this time we were successful. We drifted back into the finger pond and turned around to take the road way back. The current is coming across the road from right to left at a good clip and right were we entered the road way was a huge clump of vines on the right. Gator had to get around them on the left. The current just past it was too strong and we got pushed into the trees to the left. The trees were right next to road but between them and the road was a long pile of large chunks of concrete placed there by the parish to keep the road from washing out. Well, we pushed off from the trees and Gator powered up and suddenly we hit something and we hit it hard. Bam! We were back into the trees again. We hit the concrete. We tried again and once again 'bam' and back to the trees. We had managed to gain a few yards and there was gap in the trees where we could move the boat around better. Gator got in the water and tried to grab a small clump of something growing in the pile of concrete brick-brack but the current was too much. We drifted back a bit and got stabilized and took a break to think about this for a minute. We noticed a smooth area of water crossing our barrier and determined it would be deep enough there to motor through to get out. We pointed the boat as best we could and powered on. The bow went through but the current pushed it too much to the left and 'BAM' we hit again. We drifted back in. This time we were going to power directly against the current across the road and then pull a hard left as soon as we cleared the dam. This time it worked and we on our way again. Soon we pulled up to the front steps at Tupelo where Deb met us. We told her all about it. Gator soon discovered that he had a pocket full of soaked cigarettes and now needed to go back home. Rhett and Julie were having another dinner get together that evening and Gator said he'd come pick us up at five. On the river side. Deb and I kept busy until then.
The day was nearing twightlight and Deb said she preferred not to go home in the dark but Gator needed to check on his bike which was in J and G's garage. He wanted to raise it a bit, too. While we were there, we helped them carry their generator up to their front porch. All this took a little longer than we thought, and it was going to be dark for the ride home. This didn't phase Gator in the least and we had a wonderful ride back. The sky was cloudy but the moon was full as Gator got us home without lights except for docking. Soon he was back home, too.
Now at home we needed some power so we fired up the generator but it ran for minute and then died. We tried and tried a few things but it was no good so we figured we would just wait until morning and try again. Earlier in the day I had tacked a yard stick to the banister on the first step in front. I started keeping a log. When I put it in place the water was at 25". Now, 9 hours later it was up to 26", and so I figured by morning, or 12 hours later, it would be up another 1 1/2". At 9AM the next morning it was up 1-1/4".
Saturday: 9/1/12. Julie Called, " I Can Still See Your Wheel Centers."
I was up early but Deb slept late and I was glad she did. I went to work on the gen' when Gator pulled up to the back dock stairs and tied off. Deb was up now and a real sport as she waded downstairs a few times to get some tools we needed. Gator motored on back home. So now with all the right tools, we decided to break it down and start just removing things until we could see something wrong. Managed by some miracle to get phone calls through to Pops again. Turned out to be the ground wire so we disconnected it completely from the magneto and reassembled the thing. It fired right up and we were back in the power. Yea!
We noticed two game wardens out front coming up to the house in a mud boat. They were checking the area and asked if we were OK. I mentioned we could use some gas but they didn't have any. They had a call to rescue our neighbors Ella May and Melvin. We gave them directions and off they went. Not more than fifteen minutes later, they were coming back with E and M and a five gallon can of gas for us. We have awesome neighbors out here. E and M decided they needed out because Melvin has a breathing machine and they didn't want to take any more chances. Ella May said later that getting out with those guys was the wildest boat ride that she had ever been on in her many years on the river.
Sunday: 9/2/12. The Water Is Still Here.
I checked the stair gauge twice during the morning and it was steady at 28". It's crested, and now we should see it start falling. All my ant bites have now gotten little bead white heads. Deb is sleeping in again. Gator showed up around 10 AM to ask if I had Ella May's phone number. Sorry, but no. She had ask him to fill up their generator but he couldn't find any gas down there. I showed him my arm and his eyes got real big, "have you counted them yet?" At the time I hadn't, so no. Gator went home to get his phone and call Ella May. After breakfast, Deb and I decided to treat the deck for ants because they seemed to be all over it now. This treatment helped a lot because I was tired of getting bit every time I went out there. Deb said her husband was an ant magnet.
Gator passed back by to let us know Julie wanted to have a Labor Day dinner celebration and that he would be back to pick us up around 2:30 tomorrow and that we could take a hot shower at his place. He has city water and a gas water heater. It would be our first hot shower in a week. Yea!This evening though, we fired up the gen again and enjoyed a few beers and laying on the floor in front of a fan. It was a real treat from the heat and humidity and the still night air. Later as we started to go to bed the gen' ran out of gas so we left it alone. We'll fill it up in the morning.
Monday: 9/3/12. Down 2 1/2" Over Night.
It's 5:30 AM and I was up to pee and check the water levels for my log. I settled in to write some more. "Chir-ring br-ring!" A wand just fired off again. I had to laugh. Deb had been up during the night but sleeping well now. "Chir-ring br-ring" from the bucket downstairs.
Gator was back early today and Deb was up now. We all had some cereal. On the front steps we enjoyed our coffee and the small alligator swimming by in the tranquil flowing water. Business as usual. Ha. "Chir-ring br-ring."
Deb and Julie went over to check on the cars. The water was just 4" deep on the road now. We saw Jenny leave in her white SUV and in a short while she called to say she got out just fine. I joined the girls and started clearing washed up debris away when I uncovered a large eel. He took off across the street to a ditch. Deb suggested that now might be a good time to go get some gas so I got our two 5 gallon cans we had brought but suddenly remembered I didn't have my wallet. No money and driver's license. Rhett offered us some cash money and I took him up on it. Gator said he wanted to go, so he and I took off down the road. Most of the Magnolia Dr. paved part was still covered in water, and in some areas it was 2 feet deep, but passable. Once we got to the highway and everything was dry as normal, we realized how surreal it was. From water world to dry world in just a few minutes. We went to the nearest gas station and filled up the 2 gas cans and bought 4 bags of ice like any other day and headed back. We used every dime of the $46 we got from R and J.
Dinner was an awesome stuff fest and Jerry from across the street joined us. The water had dropped a few more inches. Deb was still looking forward to a hot shower, so we loaded up the boat again and went to Gator's at twilight. The water was low enough now that he didn't want to power up to his steps so once over land he jumped out and walked us to his steps. So nice. While we showered he made some coffee and before you knew it we were back in the boat, headed home. It was another wonderful slow ride in the semi-darkness of the full moon and bright stars between the silhouette of the trees on either side.
Gator had asked if we could stop by Ella May and Melvin's and refill their generator along the way, and I was more than happy to. So, in the darkness we tried a glide up to their boat launch but the branches from the nearby trees made it awkward - but we managed. Gator had to get back into the water as I held the boat and handed him the gas. He struggled his way in over who knew what in the yard and did the good deed - and once again Gator skillfully got us to our back stairs. We wished him a good night and he headed home.
We fired up the generator and decided to let 'er run until the gas that was in it ran out. We enjoyed a fan at the foot of the bed while the fridge recovered along with charging everything up. Some time early in the morning it died.
Tuesday: 9/4/12. Down 2 Feet, But Still Deep Out In The Road.
There was a nice cool breeze this morning as Gator waded up to the stairs today. We knocked out 2 pots of coffee sitting on the front steps watching the water and alligator go by. While he was here the water dropped another 1-1/2". He took off with some gas we had left to go refill the neighbors gen' again. I cleaned up the canoe, which had been tied to the steps this whole time so Deb and I could paddle the yard. We collected trash and broke loose some collected branches so they could float on. We went all around the yard and then out to the road and on up to E and M's to take pictures.
Gator came back in his boat this time on the river side and we got him docked to the back stairs OK.
We said we were getting ready to leave so he offered me a ride to the truck. We felt that the water was low enough now to get in and out with the truck without worry but we were starting to lose daylight. I thought I had been told that it was possible to get past the fallen trees up the road without a problem, but that didn't seem to be the case so I brought Rhett's chainsaw along with us. As we neared Rhett's, I suddenly realized that I didn't have the truck keys. This was about the same time Deb realized that too, so she started wading up the road with them. Gator said he would go get them and I could start clearing the branches. He brought me to Rhett's and then we both took off to work our task. Rhett was outside and ask if everything was OK as I carried his chainsaw across his yard. Yep, everything is just fine. I had to wade in thigh deep water for 80 yards down the road or so and then into shallow water where the trees were. There was an even larger eel laying there on some sand but it had died. I cut the smaller limbs first so I could handle them easier and then worked my way in to the larger ones. It seemed like no time at all and I had the road cleared and I waded back out to wait for Gator to return. He just managed to catch Debra before she got too far. Then he thought I would still be clearing the branches which were right by his house, so he stopped there on his way back, but I was already out. I heard him down the road yelling for me and then I saw him wading my way. Now that I had the keys, I gave him a ride home and then went on home myself. I was able to back up to the stairs and we quickly loaded it up, locked up and drove back out again. We stopped by the Toyota and Deb moved some stuff to the car as I returned an ice chest and the money to our friends.Thanks so much y'all.
The first place we went was the post office to check the PO box and then straight to Wendy's to sit in the cool and eat a big 'ole hamburger and fries and a cold Frosty. Oh, so yummy.
It was getting late and we still had an hour drive ahead so we pushed on. I was looking forward to cool night's sleep and I even looked forward to going to work tomorrow. But, as I walked into the house I was met with a strong mildew smell. Now what? I found that the two bedrooms on one side had wet carpets. We spent the next day dealing with that.
