harvey: an update
The view from our front door as we waited for our friend to arrive with his kayak, to evacuate. The first time.
So friends, a lot has happened since I last popped in -- some of it amazing, and downright miraculous.
First, the tough news: as I type this, our home is still under almost two feet of water. The Army Corps of Engineers had to release hundreds of thousands of cubic feet of water from the overflowing reservoirs upstream, in order to avoid catastrophic failure of the dam. It was the right decision, but unfortunately for homes that were along the bayou downstream (that's us), it means that unlike much of the rest of the city, flooding continued even after Harvey had long left the area. Friends of ours who experienced flooding away from the bayous have already entered their homes to begin cleaning; however, we have to wait until the water recedes. And so, at this point, we're pretty sure that our house is virtually destroyed, along with all the furniture and appliances. And given that we didn't live in a flood plain, and therefore didn't have flood insurance ... well, you get the picture.
But there's been some amazing news as well. First -- and completely out of the blue -- a friend texted me and told me she had an empty 2-bedroom garage apartment where our family could stay while we get back on our feet. When we took her up on her offer, and she showed us to the space, I almost burst into tears, it was so charming. So we're beyond safe and dry and together, in an apartment that is more lovely than we could've ever imagined. Second, another friend had a spare car that he's been allowing us to use, so we're mobile again, which is huge. Thirdly, even though my parents had to be evacuated from their neighbourhood, it's looking more and more likely that their home didn't take on water -- this means we can move in with them once they can get back home, and while we rebuild. And fourthly, Marcus has been able to return to our neighbourhood over the past few days, and kayak and wade into our house to save things that are cherished, including grabbing all the art we've collected over the years this morning. He's my full-on hero right now, for sure.
So. We're in a pretty decent space, all things considered. Marcus returns to work on Tuesday, and Alex returns to school: I'll be doing my damnedest to create a routine for myself as well. Again, posting may still be sporadic, friends, but I'm getting there.
What I grabbed as we left: my cameras, insurance documents and birth certificates, passports, and a single pair of shoes (all my shoes were wet at this point, I figured these had the best chance of drying). I also grabbed 4 shirts, 4 pairs of pants (none of them matched) and no underwear. You've been warned: in an emergency, prepare better than I.
More soon.
Soundtrack: Can't stop the feeling by Justin Timberlake. Weirdly, this song has been playing over and over in my head today, even though I'd hardly describe my mood as exuberantly happy. But tonight, as I was writing this post and even though I hadn't mentioned this earworm to anyone in my family, when I asked Marcus and Alex what song they'd recommend, Alex immediately started singing this one. I'm going to take it as a positive sign that we're both thinking of this song. It means we're hopeful, right?
At the very least, it's time for a solo dance party. God knows we could use it. Join us, friends. Turn it up.