I made a lovely steak dinner and literally just sat down to eat when the power went out at 6:45. It had been raining all day, so it wasn't too much of a surprise that it went out. It'll come back in a few minutes. Eileen and Suzanne come downstairs, we eat and light a few candles. The power will be back soon. Around 7:15 I get up and my sock is wet. I look down and the kitchen floor has begun to flood. We take the chairs and put them in the living room. I run upstairs and put on boots. It wasn't more than 2 minutes before I got back down. By now a layer of water is on the floor. We move more stuff into the safety of the living room.
We go outside to see if the power is out elsewhere. Our block is dark. A lake of water formed at the nearby intersection and the rain is still coming down. We are outside for about 10 minutes. We get back in and the floor of the living room is now wet. Trying to remain calm, we think about what to do.
Roommate Liz has all of her stuff in the basement. We grab her shoes and bring them upstairs to dry ground. We then try and get anything of Liz's that might get wet and bring that upstairs. The water is increasing exponentially. The water is as high as my boots and we are literally wading through the kitchen to save stuff. Liz comes home. The landlord also comes by to survey the situation. We even have the fire department check things out.
At 10pm the electricity returns. With the electricity back, the pumps begin working again. Over the next hour the water recedes. At 11 we go down again. Everything in the kitchen and living room is ruined. Couches, bookshelves, tables are unsalvagable. We begin sweeping and using what we have and make little progress. The fridge filled with freshly bought food is now spoiled. The smell of mildew and bacteria is overwhelming.
It's been a long 18 hours. Much credit goes to Eileen for keeping everyone calm and organized. There's a lot of work to be done. Gar!!!
Quote of the Day:
"Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, And don't put up with people that are reckless with yours." -Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
2 comments:
i like the new look of the blog.
i hate the water!!
And - if anyone has a couch they'd love to donate to the Brothel, we'd appreciate it VERY much!! :)
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