Who'll Stop the Rain... No, really, who's gonna stop it?

Rain, Floods and Sand Bags.
Beginning last Wednesday, a series of storms brought flooding to areas already saturated with previous rains, so 2 inches of rain acted like 5 or 6 inches. The Silver Creek, running just north of Grand Island, overran its banks and flooded a series of homes Thursday. We dispatched sandbags, trucks of sand, and encouraged residents to begin securing their homes.

Then, over Saturday/Sunday night, around three inches of water fell, adding to the already dire situation. Becky and I spent almost an hour (0030-0130 hrs) trying to remove water from a low spot near the corner of our house. Our water table has risen to only 5-6 feet below ground level, and basements throughout the area are filling with ground water seepage. Some homes have several feet, yes feet, of water in the basement.

More on this story at www.theindependent.com.

We ended our own water mitigation project around 3am and I realized that I was in for a full day's work. I got two quick hours of sleep and then headed out to the corner of town that is first to flood in these instances. Upon arrival I found a crowd of concerned citizens watching the water from the local creek entering their yards, sidewalks, and covering their streets. We brought in more sand, bags, and I realized that I needed volunteers who could work all day filling bags. So I called my bishop to ask who could sandbag for us. Bishop Henderson simply said, "We'll be right there." And true to form, elders, high priests, and young men from the ward were on scene filling sand bags for local residents. These folks worked in the hot parking lot all day. For their reward they received a great big thanks from me, and were issued free coffee from the local Starbucks. The latter was set aside for others. :)

This story here by the National Weather Service describes the rain situation, but does not take into account 3 inches that came down Saturday night/Sunday morning.... It’s Been Wet

In addition to ground water seeping in to basements and flood waters threatening homes from above ground, the fact that most homes use sump pumps linked to the sanitary sewer has overloaded the system and it is backing up in homes throughout the city. Now, water in the basement could be a mixture of all three. Needless to say, patience in the City is wearing thin. A great time to work for the government!

If its Yellow, let it Mellow. If its Brown, Flush it Down.
The City issued a request to all residents and business to dramatically decrease water usage and allow the sewer pumps to catch up. That means avoiding laundry, dishwashers, frequent flushes and showering. I did my part and bypassed the shower this morning. Instead, I took a "bachelor shower" with a rag and the sink. Here are a few tips if you ever find yourself in a similar jam:

1. Wash dishes the old fashion way, in the sink.
2. Hand sanitizer, gallons of it.
3. Go back to the days of your childhood and just don't flush so often.
4. But... Don't wait so long that you can't shut the lid.
5. (I'm sorry that was just uncalled for! Please forgive me.)
   
6. Become an Aqua Velva man.
7. Tell the kids just to go out back. We live in the country (almost).
   
8. Buzz cut your hair make bathing easier.
   
9. Dry shave (not my favorite).
   
10. If you must shower, shower with a friend.

Sunday and Monday have been great in the weather department. Dry and warm and it is letting the water levels fall. However, Tuesday and Wednesday are likely to bring more rain. Everyone is quite nervous and we will know by Thursday morning if we get to do it all over again.

Well I must go, Becky and I are working on our last project in the back yard, and she needs to cubit to feet conversion.

"Tell the rabbits, only two, only two!"