Friday, September 9, 2011
Still no power. And our daily morning phone call to Kellie now reveals that our water is no longer safe for consumption unless we boil it first. Breakfast is quiet and the morning is uneventful.
Andrea and I breakdown and realize that we need to go to the-store-that-shall-not-be-named to buy food if this no power or water thing continues to prolong itself. It wasn't hard to tell what is in demand as you look on the shelves; water and ramen are completely out, and many of the dry foods are picked over. We take for what seems a half-hour to find a battery-powered radio, and suddenly a call from Samantha Kubik changes everything. The 201-Bridge has been opened.
For those unfamiliar with Binghamton geography and infrastructure it's important to know that there are only four bridges that connect Binghamton's southside to the rest of the city. If any of those four bridges are deemed unsafe or inaccessible, traveling to the southside becomes at least a 40-mile and 2-hour drive in one direction. The flood knocked out access to all four bridges, so with the reopening of 201, people can now get to almost any part of the city with (relative) ease.
Knowing that this is my best opportunity to reach and comfort my grandma and uncle, I get into the car and take the drive over to the southside. And clearly, I wasn't the only one to have known about the bridge opening as it took nearly a full hour to finally reach the church. Once we got there, it was comforting again to visually see my grandma and uncle safe and sound, especially in the halls of our own church. We hadn't talked at all the previous day for a few reasons, but the most important of which boiled down to the fact I was the first to tell grandma that she should have left but didn't. I (successfully, with God's help) resisted the urge to say "I told you so," and made extra efforts to show that I still love and care for them.
It was comforting to see that Good Shepherd had outdone itself again. Three solid meals were being provided at the church for free, and the amount of volunteer giving and cooking was outstanding. Unlike most of the other evacuee shelters, Good Shepherd had very few people and offered more help than what would be given. So, Andrea and I ended up having both lunch and dinner at the church, thanks to those who offered their time and service to cook. We were also able to see friends who had been previously trapped in the southside come to the church as well.
As could be expected, the joy of the reunions did not last long. I could see that my grandma and uncle were not only stressed and depressed, but they also weren't getting along well. Their short tempers weren't helped when we found out that no one should clean the house until next Saturday when the adjuster would be able to come. Grandma was also becoming increasingly frustrated with her short-term and long-term living situations. Having been able to look at the house herself, she realized that many of her belongings were destroyed and the idea of rebuilding (a second time) seemed like a poor use of money, time and resources.
At the end of the night, Andrea and I were invited to a movie night with the Dreher's and their kinds, even though we were smelly. We told them about our busy days, and the kids particularly liked the part about having ice cream for lunch. But really, it was nice just to tune-out the flood for a few hours - even if the movie was centered around a drought. The movie was Rango in case you were wondering, but I don't think I really recommend it.
Just to clarify for non-Binghamtonians: all four bridges would have to be out at once for the trip into Binghamton to be two hours each way. With just one out, you could go on one of the others, of course. But so many roads were flooded that I think getting to church would have been nearly impossible on Thursday anyway, 201 or no 201.
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