Yes, Janis, I am ok. Janis asked that I check in. If you've seen the videos from Nashville with Pep Boys, I live there. Exactly there. I live in the Richland Creek area and it flooded it's banks.
I was awakened by the tornado siren at 5AM. As I turned on the tv, I saw that it was a warning and not a watch. It was on top of me, headed for dad, then mom and sis. I called them to get them out of bed. As I was talking to them, I looked out the window and saw the trashcan and recycling bin laying on the ground. And the sandbox that took 4 men (one of which was a UT football player) to carry on the other side of the yard???!!! I thought either winds or water moved that. It wasn't raining at that point, so I thought nothing more of the weather. I went back to bed worrying about how I was going to get that doggone sandbox back where it was? Afterall, there's just me. That made me little sad. I got up at 9. We were sitting around doing nothing. It was sinking in that the water in the backyard was getting higher. My house, evidently, was built to withstand a flood since I am so close to the water. It's really high. You have to go up steps just to get inside. I kept an eye on it through both the back and front windows. Mom even asked me if I thought I'd be ok, and I said yes, since the house was so tall. All at once, there was a huge clap of thunder and the skies opened up. Looking at where it was to where it ended up, the water rose about a foot in 30 minutes. I would occasionally put my ear to the floor and hear it dripping into the crawl space, but was glad it wasn't coming in the doors/windows. As it was rising fast, I saw Phil (next door) move his brand new SUV. And it dawned on me, I hadn't been looking out the side of the house... if Phil was about to be under water, how deep in it was my sports car???!!! I ran to get my keys and stepped into reality. Thigh deep water. And sat down. In a car whose pedals were unseen and prayed it would start. I got it out of the water. It started. I went back in, crying and sobbing every step over my baby car (that I've poured every last dime into for the past year ($3,000)). The water continued to rise and then LF said , "What's that sound?"
It was the water about to gurgle up through the vents. I screamed inside and shouted orders outloud. Get dressed! Get Murphy! I'll get Maggie! I just wanted to be done before it came in. I don't know why, but I did. I first tramped across the yard with Maggie. It was waist deep. My phone was in my waist pocket. So much for the phone! I'd told LF to stay on the porch, but he didn't. He came on with Murphy in his carrier. I started the car to head for higher ground, but it wouldn't go. I found out later on I couldn't have gone anywhere anyhow, the road was impassable. We spent the day waiting and watching. Our street was pretty flooded, but, evidently, it was better than other streets. The firetrucks with their boats used it for the next two days. With sirens blaring, night and day. The helicopters looking for flood victims hovered night and day for two days. It was like being in a war zone. At about noon, I was standing in the one spot it wasn't raining (at a restaurant that was closed) and saying, it wasn't supposed to be like this! It was supposed to be my last day of remodeling and cleaning. I was going to have my celebration meal. As the waters receded some, we went back and stood on our own no longer covered porch. The trees were cracking loudly, heavy with water. At that point, I looked up at the looming maple, go ahead, just fall on it! I dare ya! And we started laughing. I mean what are the chances Ed's house would burn down one weekend and the next my house is flooded in the worst flood seen by Nashvilleans in decades? I should buy a lottery ticket! We just laughed and laughed at the stupidity of the situation. That's where I spy... water came from. Ironically, the sandbox floated back to where it started. And that made me laugh too. My nephew finally came late that evening since no one could find me via my dead wet phone.
The "water sucking guy" made his rounds to all the houses on Monday and the "carpet fan blower guy" made his rounds on Tuesday. I only needed the fan blower guy for under my house. It's a bit quieter now. The house behind me lost both cars and it was under two feet of water. The house next door had the bottom floor filled with water. Both houses have lost their floors and carpets, but they had the good sense God gave them (and the presence of mind) to get everything off of the floor. The house next to it, their crawl space had items they forgot about, so they lost those. The house next to it lost their entire finished basement. That said, all I've lost certainly is my duct work and air conditioner. I can't afford the deductible, but my employer may pay it from a fund they've set up for things like this. I may have lost my car. It was submerged, but the electrical doesn't seem to be affected. I do have a new phone, but I've lost my phone numbers. If you want to call me, drop me an email, especially if you want to give me your number [again]. But my house never got wet inside. And I have eletricity. Still haven't had that meal, but I will. We'll celebrate something a tad different than planned. I will put the house on the market next Monday instead of this Monday. Just one week off schedule.
kathyjane
Janis_G
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