Flood of 2011: Day 4

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Powerless... but only in terms of electricity.  Andrea and I promised to help the Elliot's this morning.  So after some breakfast, we drove down and was surprised by the road condition.  The same road that was three feet underwater had turned into a dust bowl.  Not to sound ungrateful, because the sunlight was welcomed change of weather, but it came along so fast and strong that all the mud and water had turned into a fine particle dust that got blown around in every direction because of all the clean-up activity and passing traffic.  Though unannounced, we were greeted warmly and delighted to hear that the water had not breached the first floor of the Elliot's home; it was four inches short.  And from my observation, the blessing of having most of the house spared seemed to be a thriving source of energy and hope.

So Andrea and I were tasked of cleaning out the garage.  Apart from the moving of toys, wood, tools, wheelbarrows, and other assortment of garage items, the water left behind a large number of worms, which Katie and Elisabeth were quick to save.  In two short hours, the garage was emptied and ready, along with it's contents, to be cleaned.  Of course, it couldn't be cleaned that day because of the restrictions water, but when it was ready, so would the Elliot's.

The trip over to the southside was not as urgent, or as difficult as it was before.  In fact, the roads and surrounding area were much more lively.  Stores and restaurants opened, people were walking the streets and cleaning was widespread.  Andrea and I met up with grandma at the church, and it was time to visit the house again.  By this time, grandma had talked to the insurance people and they gave her one piece of advice - take lots of pictures.  So 127 pictures later, we left the house.  Thank God for digital photography.    (Eventually, I will post pictures.  I'm just not ready at this point to do so.)

Visiting the house for what was probably her fifth or sixth time in three days, grandma wasn't feeling well.  In fact, her speech and attitude started getting downright rotten and confrontational.  It wasn't hard to see why; she was at her emotional and mental limits.  A few phone calls later, my mom was on her way from Scranton to bring grandma to her house for two days.  In a few hours, mom would be taking grandma to a real bed and a nice hot shower - something she had been longing for awhile.

Speaking of showers, Andrea and I got our first shower since Wednesday on this day as well.  With a strict water conservation at our home in Johnson City, and the offer to take a shower at the Kennedy's in Binghamton, it was time to wash up.  All along we had been washing our hands and faces in our (cold) bathtub water, but getting a hot shower for the first time in four days was considered pure bliss.  And speaking of joys, by the time we came home, power had been restored to our home.  That night, Andrea and I marveled and re-appreciated the grace of God in modern technologies.