Flood in Loch Arbour
Oct. 30th, 2005 01:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
miekecSigh. J's parents got flooded out - the lake nearby (Deal Lake) overflowed. The suspicion is that someone didn't open floodgates to let water out to the ocean after hurricane Wilma passed, and her accompanying heavy rains. Their whole basement is destroyed - computer, piles of old pictures, books (including some old, signed, first prints), washer, dryer, furnace, hot water heater, dad's filing cabinets full of papers (the water had knocked them over), and lots more. Oh yeah, and both their cars.
They found out when dad woke up and wanted to check email. The DSL connection had disappeared, because by then the computer in the basement had already shorted out. Technology doesn't do too well when standing in a puddle. The sump pump managed to almost keep up for a while, but there really was no chance. The power company turned off the electricity when too many things started to short out. So the sump pump stopped working. Not that the water could really go anywhere - the sewer was overflowing too, and the streets were rivers. The water in the basement reached higher than the washer. The garage in the back with loads and loads of furniture they were still sorting through was flooded as well. They got rescued by boats. After the water receded, they ended up basically shoveling out their basement. Literally. Nothing was salvageable.
At least the (full) bathroom in the garage was still fully functional. That hot water heater had survived being flooded.
Note that the flood happened on October 14th. And they didn't tell us. We only just found out because they sent halloween cards to A and K, each with a printout of a picture in there. One of Dad being rescued. And one was a view from the boat looking down the street to the lake (street all under water, of course). That, of course, prompted John to call them.
They hadn't called us!!! Well, you know, they were busy, and they knew we were busy and J was too stressed and if they called he would come down, and they didn't want to take our time, and, and.....
By now, they have a new car, new furnace, and new hot water heater. The basement will still need to be all bleached clean.
Even deeper Sigh.
They found out when dad woke up and wanted to check email. The DSL connection had disappeared, because by then the computer in the basement had already shorted out. Technology doesn't do too well when standing in a puddle. The sump pump managed to almost keep up for a while, but there really was no chance. The power company turned off the electricity when too many things started to short out. So the sump pump stopped working. Not that the water could really go anywhere - the sewer was overflowing too, and the streets were rivers. The water in the basement reached higher than the washer. The garage in the back with loads and loads of furniture they were still sorting through was flooded as well. They got rescued by boats. After the water receded, they ended up basically shoveling out their basement. Literally. Nothing was salvageable.
At least the (full) bathroom in the garage was still fully functional. That hot water heater had survived being flooded.
Note that the flood happened on October 14th. And they didn't tell us. We only just found out because they sent halloween cards to A and K, each with a printout of a picture in there. One of Dad being rescued. And one was a view from the boat looking down the street to the lake (street all under water, of course). That, of course, prompted John to call them.
They hadn't called us!!! Well, you know, they were busy, and they knew we were busy and J was too stressed and if they called he would come down, and they didn't want to take our time, and, and.....
By now, they have a new car, new furnace, and new hot water heater. The basement will still need to be all bleached clean.
Even deeper Sigh.
