10/18/2024
Our story is mundane compared to others but this is our daughter’s version… talk with your kids and help them see the good.
Ugh, more rain. It’s been days and days. Mom already cleaned the storm drain 2 times earlier in the day! It was so dark and was raining so hard. It was bedtime but Mom went back outside. Then Dad went outside. We got out of bed and got our rain boots and jackets and went outside. The storm drain was clogged again and water was almost in the garage. We went to help and the water was higher than our boots! It was a pond! We splashed and splashed and got our bikes to splash in the water. We were told to go inside, but it was fun staying up late.
We saw Dad disappear toward the back of the house. It was loud and we couldn’t hear him. Mom kept pulling leaves sticks and limbs out of the drain. We helped with a broom to push the water down the drain faster than the limbs could go back in. That got boring and we splashed toward the backyard, our feet cold, clothes soaked despite the rain jackets. Dad was digging and digging. New rivers had shown up behind the house and rushing down the hillside. We got our snow sled from the garage and rode the streams of water. We didn’t hear Mom and Dad calling to us. It was fun but getting colder. Trudging through the mud and water Mom made us go in to get dry. It looked like the storm drain was working again. Dad was still pulling rocks and dirt from another drain. Mom stayed outside with him and we watched from the window. It took forever, but they finally came in and we all went to sleep.
The wind woke me up and Mom came in. She made it better and I was asleep again. Then a loud crash and snap scared me and I ran to their room but they weren’t there. Dad was outside in a raincoat, Mom looking out the front door. She said everything would be ok. Dad came in and he said a tree was on the house but it would be ok. We cuddled.
When I woke up again it was dark. It isn’t dark when I get up in the morning. But it was dark. And loud. Mom said the power was off and had candles everywhere that were pretty and made the house glow. Don’t worry we use battery candles cause they’re safe and we can leave them on all night.
She checked on my little brother then went outside while we ate cake! Mom and Dad talked about the tree on the house and another tree in the back yard. We were watching out the window and a HUGE TREE crashed down in the back yard hitting the swings. But our swings are strong cause we built them ourselves.
Mom said it was time for a shower and she walked outside, which was soooo silly. We went out back and Mom was showering IN THE RAIN! She said I needed to too. She put out plastic bins everywhere collecting rain water. Dad worked to clear drains again while we showered up. But he didn’t come inside when we said we were going in.
The storm was lasting forever! Then it just stopped. Mom went out searching for Dad. She yelled and yelled. She would come back in and tell us where she was going to walk next. I made up games to play and was in charge. My brother was told to keep us and the dogs safe. Dad came back in, finally. Mom was worried. The water around the house made it hard for him to hear her and she said we needed a plan to talk to each other.
Their phones didn’t work. Dad needed to try and go to work. He was going to go to town alone but family doesn’t leave family behind. So we walked. Trees were everywhere. The pretty park across the street was gone but they said it would be ok. The water looked angry. We had to be very careful. Electric lines were on the ground and trees were in the road. We got down the mountain and the road had a river across it.
My tennis shoes got wet. Mom said it would be ok. We saw some other people walking but not really talking. More and more trees were broken. More lines in the road. They said we had to go back up the mountain. Mom carried me part of the way. She said it would be ok. Dad carried my brother cause he had blisters on his feet. He didn’t wear socks.
Dad got his bicycle but I didn’t want him to leave. He said he would be back. Mom said it was going to be ok. But I cried. Since it wasn’t raining we rode bikes in the driveway while she cooked hot dogs and hot dog chili on a camp stove. It was getting late and Dad wasn’t back. Mom said she was timing him and if he wasn’t back by her alarm, we would all go back down the mountain to get him. I was sad but she said he would be ok.
We were eating and Dad came back. The alarm hadn’t gone off. He looked serious. The police and firemen couldn’t talk to anyone else either. He said it would be ok and went out to clear trees from the road. I went to help get BIG tree limbs out of the road with him. I worked hard. We came back in and watched a movie on Mom’s IPad. She said it was a special surprise and I don’t know how she did it.
The next day? No power. No water. And absolutely NO flushing number 1. We had cake and pie and milk from a cooler. This is the best breakfast ever. Dad wanted to go to town again but he couldn’t go alone. Family doesn’t leave family behind.
We loaded up in the truck, dogs and all, and made our way there. Everything was muddy. Parts of the road were just gone. The center of town looked pretty though. And a lot of people were there. We walked around and Mom and Dad got on their phones. I heard her tell someone we were ok. Dad said people needed us and a police car was going to take us to them. We had to go home and pack really fast but it would be an adventure.
We stayed in the hospital with our dogs and all for 2 nights! We played in a hallway, met another kid and played, and got juice. We wanted to go home and Mom and Dad talked serious talk. We finally packed up and bought food for our neighbors because they’re family too. We made it home. No power… again…
I was worried about my friends. Mom said she would try to find out if they were ok. We had to go to town for her use her phone. She said so far she heard they were all ok. We had to go to a meeting about a clinic and a town meeting on the square. We got to play with another kid and I did cartwheels on the grass. We were hungry and some nice people gave us food. Mom said it was ok for us to eat. Mom would stop to get water but wouldn’t take food. She said we had enough if we didn’t waste it and others needed it more. She said we would be ok.
There wasn’t school so we stayed home and rode bikes or helped Mom make people feel better. We cut trees that were in the yard and on the house and made witches brooms. We heated the water and bathed out of a pot in the tub. Mom washed clothes in plastic bins in the morning and hung them up outside.
Dad got us a generator so some of our food didn’t rot but most of it smelled. We could flush the toilets again because our well worked. Hurray! We cooked outside everyday and watched the helicopters overhead. We watched one come really close to the house and heard it was a rescue mission. Dad worked because people needed him and he would come home with gas for our generator. I wanted to play all day but Mom said we had work to do.
16 days and the generator started having trouble and the food went bad. We were sad but it was ok cause we grilled the steak and it was good. The bears came and ate the bad food but they seemed happy. 18 days and the generator was working ok again but it got cold. We bundled up tight for bed and mom said we were blessed because we had a house, blankets, and beds and it would be ok.
The next day we drove through a part of town that made me sad but Mom said it was ok to feel sad or mad and cry. She showed me all the people working together and said we will be ok. We gave what we could to other people. And they said they would be ok. We played with some kids while Mom helped the grown ups. I made them laugh. And she said our the games we made up were ok. We made signs for the sick people to know where to get help. And she said it will help us to be ok. We waved to all the army people, police officers, firefighters, workers on the roads, and volunteers. And she said our smiles will make it be ok.
We got home and we played while Mom went inside. She came out smiling and turned on the porch light.
I told Mom everything will be ok.
strong