Deluge 2011

Well, it's time for the annual flood post! It all started on Monday when it began to rain. It rained, and rained, and rained; through Tuesday and Wednesday. On Wednesday night, it was still raining, and the National Weather Service issued several tornado warnings for Hickman County. So, we and our next-door neighbors (who don't have a basement) headed for shelter in the basement of our house. Since the house isn't finished yet, the basement serves as a lumber storage area. So, when you go down there, you have a great variety of seating choices - 2x4's, 2x6's, 2x8's, or 2x12's. Thankfully our stay in the basement was uneventful, and when the storm was over, we all went to bed.

Thursday morning, I awoke to the sound of water running. It wasn't raining, but it sounded like we had a nearby waterfall. When Jacob came in from doing his chores, he said that there was water running over the driveway and that Beaverdam Creek was rising. Needless to say, we began preparing for flooding immediately. With the help of some friends, we moved the cows across the road and made sure that everything that would float was on high ground. By that time, it was raining again. Two of Jacob's friends stuck around to help him pull up some temporary fencing. It was made of t-posts and polywire, and it was running right through a low spot in our pasture where the creek-overflow was gushing through. They had to wade through the water, which was about 3 feet deep, to roll up the polywire. I just stood in the rain and watched, wishing I had my camera.

After making sure all the neighbors were prepared for high water, we came in and dried off. We were praying that the Lord would protect Jacob's fence from damage. It rained awhile longer, then finally stopped. The water never got very high, and soon began subsiding. Jacob checked the fence this morning, and there was NO damage! All the water is gone, except for a smallish lake close to the creek. The power didn't even go out. It was a very small flood, compared to the ones of the past two years. The Lord protected us and our property, and we are very thankful.

Here we are in the basement with the neighbors at 11:00 p.m.

This is the water rushing across the driveway.

There was enough water for Jacob to turn photographer. He's shooting with my old camera that he inherited.

Gimli went through the water once, but he refused to come back. He jumped on the four-wheeler as if he was saying, "Take me back across, Jacob!"

This is looking down Sulphur Creek Road, close to our barn.

Jacob, playing in the road

Hoss had the time of his life. He likes floods.

Yesterday evening, I jumped up from the computer, where I was writing an essay. I ran to get my camera, and took this picture. The sky looked very strange and the setting sun was lighting up those trees at the edge of the pasture.

Now we're praying for some dry days so that the ground will dry out so we can get some much-needed planting done.

You can read about last year's flood post here. And the flood from the year before that here.

-Tricia Ann