We are FLOODING!!!!!(Revised with pictures)

[ADAMINMO]

Due to all the torential rains and down pours we are flooded.The children that were delivered to school can now not get home due to high waters.Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we go through this.I have a few pics I took coming to work this morn but will try to go down town later and get some pics to post. The water on the bridge is about 3' deep. The culvert under my driveway is a 36" diameter and it is pumping it through as fast as it can and it is dumping some over and around it.These pictures are from 7:30 am this morning. The water had only stared to rise at that time.It is much deeper now.They are evacuating most of town and other places close to creeks and rivers.Have us in your thought and prayers please! Thanks All.
 P.S. Tom_in_Mo is stuck at his house due to the flood.He has a creek that runs through his property that seperates his house from the road.He should be ok though.

[Burlkraft]

Good luck Adam.......

I knew all that snow that melted here went somewhere's     

[Crawfish]

Prayers sent

[Fla._Deadheader]

 Good Luck 

[isawlogs]

 Wont be that long I will be refreshing this thread ....     Hang in there Adam. I am in the same position as Tom , road will be under water as soon as this snow starts to melt .
 I am hoping the kids can get back home as soon as possible .

[roger 4400]

    Wish you good luck........and wish that everyone will be fine.......and less damage as possible......Over here it,s not melting yet but with over 13 feet of snow this winter our lands will be as yours..........you have our best wishes.          Roger

[Tom]

I'll be thinking of you and waiting for an update.  Don't do anything stupid.  Stay safe.

[Larry]

A lot more is heading your direction...steady downpour here right now.

I'm gonna patch up my Ark this afternoon.

And what Tom said.

[Larry]

I just noticed on the TV mostly to the east of me.

Tornado Warning
Thunderstorm Warning
Flash Flood Warning
Flood Warning
Tornado Watch

Think they missed anything?

You guys keep your heads down and a ear to the radio.

[LeeB]

My thoughts are with you Tom. I understand your angst. I called home and talked to Lindy a little while ago. She put Paul on the bus to school this mornig @ 7:00 and the creek was a little high then. By 8:30 it was raining harder and from past experiance she new the school wouldn't take action in time so she went and picked the boy up. By the time she got back, about a 45 minute round trip, She barely made it back across. They are now stuck at home, but safe and sound.

[ADAMINMO]

Not to worry fellas. If I can't see the road then I ain't gonna cross it.I think I already went through my Stupid years. Here are a few pictures I took at lunch time.This picture shows Logan Creek.
The bridge in the picture is the one I have to cross to go home.

This is the water running to the other side.

This is looking South on Main Street in town.

This is the creek running through town.That is one wing of an apartment complex.

This is one of the propane companies in town.

This is our local Town & Country Supermarket parking lot.The building in the left on the bank is our pharmacy.Looks like an island!!



This is a local residents yard.Looks like a river running down a fall.


Yall don't know how much Tom_in_Mo is dedicated to his job here.He called in this morn and said he wouldn't be in.He went and got on his tracto and went to feed his cattle.After he crossed the dry creek bed to get hay , he came back about 15 minutes later and the creek was no longer dry.He could not get back across.He was Stuck!! So he went up the road on his tractor as far as he safely could.He then got off his tractor and WALKED , yes I said walked, approximately 7 miles through the woods to the highway.He made it to a gas station down town and called work to see if someone could come get him!! So that means Tom Walked 7 miles through torential down pours and flooding forest up and down the hills and crossing all the creeks needed to get him to work.Now folks thats DEDICATION there.Git er done buddy.
(I took a pic of him after he changed out of his wet clothes and he is wearing some sweat pants and a shirt and socks borrowed from the CEO!! He wouldn't let me put that picture on here!!(He has his own under wear on though!)He may be spending the night with the CEO!! Talkin bout brownie points!!!!Walk 7 miles in flood to work and then wear the clothes of the CEO and then stay at his house on top of that!!Whats next .... Will he clean his house and babysit too??!!I don't have a chance to climb the ladder here cause Tom_in_Mo keeps knocking me off the rungs!!!!!

[beenthere]

..................., She barely made it back across. ....................

The consequences of not "barely" making it across are sometimes not very good. Taking chances with high water are very risky.  Glad all are safe this time..

[Bibbyman]

This picture looks like it was taken from the deck of the restaurant that Tom took us to the day we did the deal on the deck.

Mary read over my shoulder and commented that Tom was cut off from getting home and wanted someone to come and get him.   

Keep up on top of the hill and y-all'l make it. 

[ADAMINMO]

Yup that is directly across the road from that restaurant.Water is supposed to be coming up again.Callin for up to 5 more inches today and tonight.Looks like I won't be home tonight!!!

[Bibbyman]

It was just announced on The Weather Channel that someone was killed in Ellington, Mo. by being swept away in the river there.

[Tom_in_Mo.]

I don't know about that boy!!!!!!!!!!!

The gentleman that was killed was a life long business man here in Ellington. What a shame, he was really a good guy. Deacon of the church I attend. You just never know how you will go when its your time.

Yeah, this morning was quiet the ordeal. I had no other direction to go other then start walking. I was sure glad to hitch a ride. Never knew just how good dry clothes felt. Thats all I have to say about the clothes. You know the old saying...BAGGERS CAN'T BE CHOOSERS!!

Kinda funny when problems appear how folks will come forward to help. I have had several invites for an overnight stay. Now if I can just get them to fix me a steak the way Tom did. Ha Ha...... Pretty hard to due, uh Tom especially with the water everwhere.

[Bibbyman]

Two questioins Tom-in-Mo?

Did you get your cows fed and did you park your tractor on high ground?

[ADAMINMO]

Bad ordeal with the gentleman that passed.Really a great guy.Would do anything for ya.

By the way .... Can anyone guess who picked Tom_in_Mo up at that gas station??? I'll give ya a Little hint ..... Tom wound up wearin his clothes!!! 
   
   

[Tom_in_Mo.]

Bibbyman, I didn't get to feed my cows but did park on higher ground. I hope high enough.

anyone know a hitman?

[Bibbyman]

 

I'd guess Tom's cousin?  I can't remember his name but he delivered the deck.

........

Another question for the Baker Boys;

I’ve been hearing that logging in your area has really suffered this winter and especially in the past few weeks with all the heavy snow and rain.  I was just wondering how the log inventory looked around in your area and how much do you think this additional rain will keep the loggers from getting back to cutting?

Is a shortage of logs plus a soft market going to put some of the mills out of business?

We, above the Missouri River, had been speared the heavy snows of late and the loggers were still in the woods last week.  But this rain has really soaked up the ground and it’ll be a good while before they’ll be able to get anything out.

[ADAMINMO]

Nope ... wasn't Tom's cousin.

Logging is slowed way down due to this weather.This will definately make it worse.

What do you need a hit man for Tom? Me

[Bibbyman]

 

Was it Sam Baker?

[Furby]

Gee Bibby, ya wanna play 20 questions for $, I could use the cash!
The answer is staring you in the face!

[Bibbyman]

Gee Bibby, ya wanna play 20 questions for $, I could use the cash!
The answer is staring you in the face!

Gee back to you Furby, can't a guy have a little fun?   

[Dave Shepard]

You've always got to make sure you park on high ground! This tractor was sitting in a dry creek bed 24 hours previous to this picture, and was pointing 120 degrees CCW from it's current picture. Water came up and went down 4 feet in 24 hours. Floodwater is amzingly powerful, I hope everyone stays safe down there!




Dave

[SwampDonkey]

Well it's getting interesting here and no sign of temperatures getting above the low thirties for some time. Another storm will hit with just about everything wet and dry by tomorrow night. We have over 10" of water locked up in snow pack and the later it takes to start to moderate means it's going to go quick. A little saving grace might be that there is very little frost, so the ground will soak up 4" of it, but the other 6" or more is going to float stuff down to the harbour in Saint John. Well, probably Grand Lake will filter most of it out. We have record snowfall here already and if history is any indication of the outcome, I'd be getting my belongings to higher ground right quick. There is more snow up at the head of the major rivers (at least 2 feet more) and they all branch off from a 100 mile² area around the Christmas Mountains. With that being pretty much scalped off by clear cuts shes' going to come quick.

[semologger]

Just be glad you are not in piedmont adam. They are 33% under water. Good thing plenty of people with river boats to help out. We are not to bad here but we are getting it also.  I think cape has gotten 10.2 inches they broke the record. Thats alot of rain in one day. Ellington has gotton 6 inches so far. Maybe more.

[zopi]

Hope you guys stay safe...gotta admire yer dedication Tom....iffit was me the navy would be one chief shy 'til the bridges got dry...




>unless my sailors needed me..<.

[Tom]

If your a-wearin' the trousers of the person that I think gave you a ride, your probably havin' a bad time with the "Rise", Tom.  Has your voice gone up an octave yet?

[Kevin_H.]

I heard about the man getting swept away in ellington, Was worried it might have been someone we knew.
We are pretty wet here too, I think they said sparta got almost 5" so far.

Stay safe.

[Warbird]

The weatherman just said they are expecting a ton more rain tonight in Missouri.  I pray that you all stay safe, warm, and dry.

[Coon]

Stay safe eveyone.  I'd suggest if you're anywhere near the flood areas to prepare a big survival kit with food and such.  It'd be wise to prepare for power outages and such too. 

[LeeB]

Lindy sent me this picture last night. No captions with it so I don,t Know exactly when it was taken. You normally can't even see the creek from where she was standing. The little barn is about 30ft from the bank. On the right you can just see the road leading to the driveway. I hope this isn't what she crossed after going to get Paul . This is the low end of the place. Everything else is up hill so they will be high and dry, just not goiny anywhere for a while. I just hope she can get out Friday to come get me at the airport.

[thecfarm]

Good luck to all of you in the flooding.High,fast moving water is nothing to take lightly.You all be careful.

[Faron]

We have some severe flooding here in Indiana as well.  Reports are the highway between my home and one cattle herd is closed due to flooding.  I have seen water pretty high there, but don't remember it closing the road.  The cows were due to start calving March 10, with not one calf born to date.  I can just about predict what happened last night.   Come daylight I aim to see if I can get across that creek upstream and get to them.  The  list of road closings is pretty long and growing.

[Haytrader]

Since you said cows and didn't mention heifers, I'll bet they are OK.
As long as a momma cow can find high ground, she will take care of that baby.
You knew that, just concerned.   Hope all is well.

[Faron]

Yep, the heifers are here at home where I can check them often.  In the past we have had problems with cows having calves on the creek bank where they think it is high and dry, and the calf falling off in the flooded creek.  I do have them fastened away from those areas where it is possible.  It isn't possible everywhere, though.  They are fine, probably.

My wife is on her way to work and just called and said the highway between here and Evansville is closed, apparently by high water.  She has been detoured west to another highway.  We'll see how that works out. That will put an awful lot of traffic on an already busy road.

[ARKANSAWYER]

 


  Fixing to start building the ARKY ARK most quick.  This is the creek behind the hill the mill sits on.  It is getting bad here.  Yesterday trying to get back from below the Buffalo there was a rock about the size of my truck had slid down the hill and was sitting in the ditch by the road with lots of little rocks and trees.  We got by and some of the roads were running board deep on the truck.

 

  This is the Buffalo River Bridge on Hy 14 just south of me.  It is normally 40 feet between the bottom and the river.  Here the river is up about 20+ feet and that bridge is to go under water this morning.         

[ADAMINMO]

Well ... Alot of the water in town has receded. But it is still raining pretty good here so we ain't out of it yet!!  You may not believe it  , but just a bit ago there was huge snowflakes mixed in with the rain we are getting!!!! Man ..... This is some crazy weather.Hope it gets normal pretty soon , I'm gettin tired of this stuff!!!Bring on the sunshine and summer weather. We should all bocott winter and snow and maybe it will quit. 

[Bibbyman]

Fox News just had on live video from Ellengton, MO.  Pretty hard times.. 

Stay high and dry guys!

[Tom_in_Mo.]

Things are bad around and my cows haven't had anything to eat for over 24 hours. I have to walk in to get to the house, but you know what, you've got to think positive for the Good Lord will help us get through it all.  As bad as it seems at least no family member has been killed.
My wife just call and it looks like I might have lost a big section of fence and and probably lost some of my field.
I only have 7 little calves right now.
Tom, I wondered what my problem was after putting those clothes on, but then know when he tries to wear them........ well.... it may be suspender time

[DanG]

Saw some film from Ellington on NBC this morning.  It looked pretty much like Adam's photos.  What a mess!!  Y'all keep your wits about you, and don't do anything foolish.  Even getting home isn't important enough to be crossing one of those creeks.

It is getting a bit messy around here, but we're not expecting anything major.  We're just gonna get those little trailing bands on the south side of the storm.  On the up side, maybe that mud puddle them Atlanta folks drink out of will get filled up.

[ADAMINMO]

I will try to get some new pics today showing the damage after water has receded.Don't worry bout most of us.We got our ducks in a row. (or turkeys)

[MrMoo]

Hmm your picture bring back memories of what it was like here last April. Our driveway was washed out and we were stranded. It wouldn't have mattered if the driveway held because the road was gone too as was every major road in our town. The power of water is pretty scary.
Do take care and stay safe.

[Tom_in_Mo.]

Adam and I and all the folks in our area appreciate the thoughts and Prayers.


Bibbyman, I just notice the picture of my cousin delivering your log deck, I talked to him and he and his wife is stranded behind the creek also.

I just talked to my wife again and it looks like I definitely will get a spring workout building fence, ole well, it will keep my out of mischief,uh?

You know, this is one of those times I really appreciate marring a country girl, with the ability to step in and take control of the animals (that is hungry) and her home.

There is a positive point, we will have plenty of water for our pasture and hayfields when the the warm sun comes out. I am really glad that I had put any of that GOLD called fertlizer on yet ($700.00 a ton)

[DanG]

Tom, how well does your soil drain after something like this?  Ours is real mucky and stays wet for a long time.  I still can't go into my pasture with anything but the tractor, and it has been over 2 weeks since we had a major rain.  Got the tractor stuck yesterday and it took me 3 hours to get it out.

[semologger]

Tom and Adam hows everybody in piedmont. Are the roads open yet? Or do they still have to use the boats to get around town. We was on the way up to piedmont to check on my friends cows at his farm. We sould not even get to mill springs. Good thing we didnt get up there early in the morning we would of been stuck also.!
I havent went and checked Current river out today yet Im sure its roaring. I should of went and got a wake board to put in my creek. Naa done broke my neck one time in the water almost drowned dont want to do that again.

[ARKANSAWYER]

  The rain has stopped and the sun has peeked out!            

[ADAMINMO]

 Semologger , Piedmont took a pretty big hit to. I heard it took out the bridge near the Piedmont Processing Plant.Not positive on that though.They have had alot more damage than what we have had from the sounds of it.
 Here are a few pictures of what town looked like today. I could also finally get to the low water crossing that is keeping Tom from getting home.Usually water doesnt run over it but it is about 4' or so deep.I couldnt get out to the middle to measure it and couldnt talk anyone else int doing it either!!!  Can you believe that. 

Anyway here are the pictures.

These are the propane tanks that were floating in the flood water in the pictures earlier in this post.



This is the Orange Blossom Reataurant where Tom took Bibby and Mary when they ordered the log deck.



This is the bridge that is by the Orange Blossom Restaurant , the restaurant is to the left of the bridge in the picture. Water is still flowin good there . It is usually dry or just a trickling little brook there.

 

This is the same bridge on Logan Creek as below , but showing all the debris that has been accumulated from the flood.



This is the low water bridge that is keeping Tom_in_Mo from getting home. This is Logan Creek which is the big creek causing alot of the flooding.

 

I have not been able to get home yet either.My wife and son and myself stayed at my wifes Grandparents house.We will see if we can get home today.

[Tom_in_Mo.]

Semologger, I know they were out of long distance telephone service for awhile. One farm resident at Piedmont that I know, had the entrance to the driveway was completely washed away.

Dang, up here is the Missouri hills, you don't have to worry so much about mud in the fields for the is mostly rocks. Should have been named "ROCKY TOP" like the song.

[semologger]

I just found out  three houses got flooded my aunt and uncle and two cousins and their husbands and kids. Their cars and trucks were under also. They had to be boated out. My uncle had flood insurance but my cousins didn't. One just dropped it. They live in log homes. Two of them were probably 4 thousand square feet. They were about 5 years old. The other was made out of ties about 30 years ago. You probably know them Tom, Kenny Scott is his name. He is Duke Brannams brother in law.  Briggs in striation got flooded in Poplar Bluff and a couple of levies broke.

[semologger]

 

This is the pitchure of current river here in doniphan. Its usually a long ways down from the bridge.

[ADAMINMO]

That thing is up alot. Looks like it already took out the power pole and is letting the power line dangle in the water.Won't be much fishin in it this week!!!

[Tom_in_Mo.]

yeah, semologger, I know both of those fellows. Kenny's son, Mike was a good ballplayer here at Ellington back in the late 80s and a good kid at that.

[semologger]

I think the river is up about 24 feet. No fishing this week no floating either. I guess you sould go fishing in town now. I think its still suppost to rise a few more feet.

[Larry]

The corp is presently running the generators wot and opened the flood gates on Beaver about 10:30am.  The level on the White River jumped maybe 24 feet in a few minutes.  I heard flood gates on Table Rock are also open.  Don’t know about Bull Shoals and Norfork.

There’s gonna be a canoe or kayak on most every car come Saturday headed for the mountain streams...iffen ya see a yellow one upside down ...throw me a line.
 

[rockenbman]

We had the same kind of flooding here in south east Kansas last year.People are still living in trailers and no place to go.I think will agree with warbird on the hook up for firby.

[semologger]

Man that's fast Larry. My old lady was in mountain home and flippin yesterday and was supposed to make it to Pocahontas. Nope they stayed mountain home. They had to take 5 up to 60 and go around this morning. To get to Pocahontas.

What type of Work do you have to do to a log house after it has been flooded?

[beenthere]

Are the flood waters receding yet....so things can start to "dry" out ??     

 

[semologger]

That pitchure reminds me of cancun but those were girls in bikinis. But that did look like me and my friend also. We have sunshine today. Woo hoo. Hopefully we will dry up.

[ADAMINMO]

They have receded quite a bit. But all of our flood water is headed South and getting bad down there.

[Larry]

When the corp opens the flood gates on any of the White River lakes it’s a impressive site to see.  So...since they opened the flood gates on Beaver Lake I headed out this morning to take a look see.  Beaver is over 200' deep so when the water hits the bottom...it makes a big splash.

This is the lake side headed down into the valley.

 

Yeap, I was too late.  The corp shut the gates at 7am.  I asked the gatekeeper to open them back up so I could get a shot for the FF...no dice.   There still generating wide open to keep the lake level where they want it.

 

It wasn’t a total loss though.  When the gates were open stripers washed into the river below where they are easy to catch.  Its fish for supper.

[fishman]

i've got some beatiful pictures of bull shoals, table rock and beaver with the the gates all open, my granpa was the resident engineer on constructoin of all 3, also have 1000's of slides of all phases of construction, great stuff, am VERY proud of them.

[SwampDonkey]

One thing to be thankful for is the water itself, even though some aren't feeling that way right now. Some folks would be glad to have it, if there was a way. Never been without water around here, can't imagine not having enough.

[Carries-Mom]

Everyone keep in touch and let us know how ya'll are doin'

[Burlkraft]

Just in case ya'll run out of water downstream........

We're gittin' anudder 10 -15" of snow today that will eventually melt and head yer way     

[ADAMINMO]

Tom has taken today off to try to get his creek crossing fixed to drive home.He had to go pick up his son North of here last night and didn't have a vehicle. I let him use my wifes car to go get him .I am going to try to venture to his place at lunch time today to see if I can snap a few pictures of Tom hard at work.So far things are well here . The water has receded alot and there will be alot of cleanup yet to do.I will do the best I can to keep you guys posted.Anyone else in this predicament feel free to add photos and take over this thread.Our water is almost gone so I won't have much more to post.

[beenthere]

Adam
A few "after" pics at the same locations of the "flood" pics would be interesting, but not necessary..

Glad the waters backed off for ya all..

[ADAMINMO]

I can probably handle that.I posted a few after pictures in here that shows the water receding but I will get some pics of things after water is gone.I'm going over to Toms in about an hour to snap some pics of him and the creek he has to cross in his field to get to his house on the other side.

[ADAMINMO]

Didn't get any pics at Toms house but I did get some pics of the low water gap Tom must cross to get to his place.He has his crossing all fixed now and can get in and out.He is now working on repairing his fence to keep  his cows in.The water didnt take the fence down , it took the ground that the fence and posts were attached to!!! He probably lost an acre or 2 but his neighbors wound up with it at no charge!!  I will post some more pics soon beenthere. I snapped a couple as I crossed the low water gap also.

[isawlogs]

Take care ... well here its still very much winter    We got close to 10 inches of snow and it is blowing around and making some nice drifts ..... I had to use the tractor and loader to open the yard .  Water here runs south west to lake Champlain from there I have never looked at where it went but there is a pile of it to get from to there . 

[ADAMINMO]

Here are a few more pics I took today of the low  water bridge to get to Toms house.

This is the bridge Tom_in_Mo has to cross to get home.It is about 4' or so deep during the flood in this pic.



Here it is today at 1pm central time.Easily crossable now.

 

Here you can see it isnt all that deep on my truck tire.This wasn't the deeper middle part though.

 

This is the runnning side of the water at F bridge during the flood.
 

And this is after the waters have receded.What a huge difference.

 

[SwampDonkey]

She's floating in Fredericton, I think 50 streets are full of water. Legislature is flooded. I think up in Edmundston it's flooding as well. Too far away for me to step out and take pictures. I'm up here in high ground farm country. Some power has been disconnected for safety. With all that snow we had there was no stopping it, she's the mighty Saint John after all.

8 Ferry crossings may have to be shut down below Fredericton, the water is sure up there.

[Mooseherder]

Bow Saw has some flooding on their lot by the St. John River.  He took these pictures yesterday but I think it may have crested at 2 am this morning.

 

This is right off US 1
 

Looking towards Canada eh on the left side of the river.  My brothers house is about 500 feet from that guardrail.
 

[SwampDonkey]

It looked like that out at the river this morning. There was water slapping against the siding of a hardware store and part of the Cement plant was in river water. I was in Florenceville and the current was very strong and the water was about 5 feet below the river road. Down below that point 1/4 mile the road was flooded and closed. I could look across the river and the water was slapping the cedar bows on trees normally 30 feet above the river. The river is a good 1/4 mile wide there. I've seen outhouses, wharfs and trees float by.

[Paul_H]

The St. John River has been on the news a lot recently.The residents along the river are going to have their work cut out for them after the flooding but they seem like tough folks.

[Mooseherder]

Yes Paul, they are tough.  Fort Kent  had to evacuate 600 people.
Member Pappy knows alot of those folks.  He lives on higher ground off the Fish River which dumps into the St. John.

[Bow Saw]

Mooseherder, thanks for posting those photos!
     May 1, Route # 1 East and West was closed, we had to minimize our traveling to downtown because of a detour due to water flooding over the main road.  Designated rescue personnel workers would question us as to where we were going at the roadblock. Only 1 way out of Van Buren (via Caribou, south) as the other roads were flooded over.
We live about 4 miles away from this flooded property of ours.  Fortunately, we were spared, just minimal water seeping in our basement draining into a little ditch that BowSaw had jackhammered along the cellar wall a few years ago. That seems to take care of the problem. 
      May 2, Route # 1 West, water is receding so traveling it has resumed. The water level is receding to just as in viewed in the photo today. We can still hear & see helicopters up there.  I guess we will see our Aroostook County on the T.V. News again this evening!
Mrs. BowSaw

[pappy]

Man o man it's hard seeing your friends and neighbors in such peril 

Here's a few shots in Soldier Pond on the Fish River 7 miles up river from Fort Kent where about 10 - 12 homes were evactuated...

Waiting to be rescued.. a farmer came and got them with a 4 x 4 tractor and front end bucket...



Dayna and her sons home... her hushand 50 passed away last summer... They tried to no avail pumping the cellar out ...  Washer / drier,, frezzer/ back up fridge, and a brand new oil boiler are still in the basement...



Store / eatery...



An elderly couple She's not well he's in a wheel chair and their son is diabetic



This one doesn't need an explanation...



The post mistress was there the second day in her rubber boots...




Here's a link to the carnage up in Fort Kent...
http://www.sjv.net/e107_plugins/autogallery/autogallery.php?show=Flood%3A%20April%202008

And some clean up has started...

http://www.sjv.net/e107_plugins/autogallery/autogallery.php?show=Flood%3A%20Clean%20Up%2C%20May%202008

[thecfarm]

That is too bad.Been following it in the paper.I'm many hours away,5-6.We had no snow here.Had minor flooding,but it looks more like spring here now with all of the water in the rivers,brooks and ponds.

[SwampDonkey]

It's raining here again, so I don't know what that means. Mars Hill I know is pretty much bare. Was in the woods Saturday and snow is in the tall woods, but pretty much bare in the second growth. Line fences are almost all bare now.

[pappy]

From abrother of a good friend...

More pics of the flood waters up here in Fort Kent , ME

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=37zlcz3v.c9dsy3b7&Uy=-adchsn&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&UV=507053245232_161643401307&localeid=en_US

I gotta learn that short linky thingy ... 

[Bow Saw]

Pappy,
Thanks for the photo links! I like how they were captioned,
the aerial photos were are quite revealing. There's going to
be lots to clean up after that water recedes!  We heard on
the T.V. News that FEMA was going to give assistance. Let's
hope they step up to the plate. We'll count our blessings,
thankful that we're located on higher ground!
Mrs. BowSaw

[SwampDonkey]

Sure is sobering.

I heard our government will cover up to $100,000 for home owners with a $1000 deductible and up to $100,000 and 75% of goods in businesses. I hope they weed out the abusers, it happens every time there is relief money.

[pappy]

Ya welcome Mrs. Bow Saw...

Here's an email I got from a very good friend of ours from Ft. Kent ( he used to be town manager there)  after I sent him pics of our camp up on the St. Francis river that had 18" of heavy silted flood waters in it...

Stories like this don't make the news unfortunately Tim and Jen. As folks from this sacred ground called home, we try as we can to help ourselves and others in need in any way we can.
 
Ironically, it is that same sense of community that is getting in the way of getting the level of assistance this entire region desperately needs... a federal (SBA) bureaucrat from DC quipped in an email today that "only 4 people sought shelter" at the emergency center established at the UMFK gym (presumably to help determine the level of federal assistance that could be provided should there be a federal declaration) . Try as I might, my (mom's) anger got the better of me and I rifled back that the very criteria DC uses in determining "need" cannot be the standard they are to use in the Valley. I have seen with my own eyes what people have been doing to help friends and family with meeting housing, food, and clothing needs. As one of my sons and I were helping to remove soaked stuff from the church rectory Saturday, I was surprised to see a woman helping and her own home had been flooded the day before...!
 
Ok, I'm off the rant...for the moment. Thanks. I feel better.

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FEMA, USDA, and a bunch of other Gov agencies are in the area.. Red Cross has been right on the ball helping our friends down here in Soldier Pond as well as in the Fort Kent area ... Long line waits but worth it... Salvation Army has been around also... Man the next time I see a ringing bell ya can bet your boots there'll be a donation coming from this fellar... Really good folk...

The emergency people have been right on the ball!! They set up a command center over at the ski lodge ,,  where there's meals served three times a day for the flood victims etc.  and where all the assistance organizations have temp offices ... makes it easier for the displaced folks to help get their lives back together...

Mrs. Bow Saw how are our neighbors doing over in Van Buren ??
Looking forward to meeting you and Mr Bow Saw this spring when Moose Herder and Mrs MH come up to visit ... 

 

[Bow Saw]

Pappy,
     Looking forward to getting together with you guys again this summer!
Well would you believe I just happened to see some government
vehicles along the side of the road where some of the homes were
hardest hit, on my way from work today. A bunch of gov. officials
were holding their clipboards to write down the evidence they saw. 
Those people lost furnaces, appliances, & furniture due to water damage. 
Some  homes will be a real chore to bring back up to pare.  Most sought
refuge with relatives or friends.  Some had as many sump pumps as they
could find to keep up with in influx of water. A young couple with a school
age daughter purchased a little convenience store last year (it got flooded,
hardwood floor damage).  Their new home ..... still in the process of being
built .... got much water in the basement ..... pumps were trying to keep
up with it. To have one place to take care of & clean up is plenty when
disaster stikes, but in their case they have the store also! Their relatives
work at the store while the owners kept their regular jobs! Lots of folks went
to help them out.  People are still trying to clean it up around here. School was
open on Monday, school grounds are high enough in our area so no water
came into the school.  They had closed school because the roads were not
passable and to reduce the stress on the town septic system.
Mrs. BowSaw