FLOODED! (A little late sorry)

Well the week of June 14th was absolutely hectic!  Sunday night our friend/neighbor had a diabetic seizure, then on Tuesday we were hit with some serious flash flooding. 

I was sitting in the house with the kids and Chela and the first thing that came across our scanner was Wellman Fire Department needed to get the fire trucks to higher ground.  I didn't think anything of it since that part of the town ALWAYS floods when it rains.  

Then seconds later a call came out for Riverside Fire Department to go to the VFW and help people off the shooting range because the water rose so fast the people couldn't get out.  Again, I thought nothing of it because that always floods as well.

Then it came........."305 A Ave, a woman and her 5 children are in the house and can't get out because the house is surrounded by water"  I immediately picked up the phone and called our neighbor/friend Kim.  Her husband answers the phone and says, "You've got to come see the creek....its going over, we're going to flood."  Of course I was like, "Ok, I'll be there in a minute."  In my mind I just didn't believe it for some reason.  Sure enough I walk out the door, go to walk down the street and much to my surprise there is TONS of water standing in the road.  Mobile homes are surrounded by water.  I walk over there and its just pouring out of the creek and its everywhere. 

They blocked off our road (A Ave).  I called Paul and asked him where he was....he was almost home...I told him that was good because we were being evacuated and we were flooding BIG time.  A little while went by and Paul calls me.  "They won't let us come home."  I said, "Tell them you have 5 kids sitting in the house and you NEED to get home to them."  By the way, when I say 5, that includes my 14 year old niece who is here visiting us.  She was watching our children and our neighbors son.  Anyway....he was able to walk down here, but they had to park elsewhere.

For 3 hours I am helping people get their animals, children and belongings that they wanted saved out of their houses.  It was the longest 3 hours of my life.  The water was clear up to my hips.  In about an hours time we got 2.40 inches of rain.  It literally looked like a river in here. 

I was placed in the newspaper and on websites.  Rather embarrassing because I was still in my "pajamas" and I was just blah looking.  I look just absolutely beautiful with a pink flamingo in my hands as well. 

We have lived in Kalona for 3 years now and we have NEVER seen anything like that ever.  It was absolutely scary.  The worst part was that they said it was going to happen again (luckily it never did).  We were close to having to to leave our animals and things behind and evacuating permanently until the rain subsided. 

Everyone is safe, their houses didn't get too much damage to it and we are no longer flooded.  I just hope and pray it never happens again.

Here are some pictures of the flood that day...June 15th, 2010......

This is the street we are on.....this was taken around 1 p.m. that afternoon

This is straight down the road from us.......that shows you how high the water got

This is a picture of A Ave.....the bridge down the road was closed because the water had made it shift.......I can see why people's basements were flooding.

Kalona Fire Department pumping water out of the trailer court......started about 5 p.m. and finished shortly after midnight.

Water flowing pretty good from the creek flooding.........the current was quite strong.