Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Washed away

The sky opened today right around lunchtime. We had two inches of rain in less than an hour. I was at work but heard reports of flash flooding. Then V called me to report on the flooding at our house. Coming on top of the 3+ inches of rain we've had in the past few days and on already saturated ground, the flooding was amazing!
The water was STILL over the highway on my way home- 5 hours later!
I'm glad I still had my camera in my bag from the weekend.
V took this shot from the back door with his camera during the flood.
At its widest, our little creek was probably 40 feet wide and several feet deep.
Both bridges are washed away.
V points to where Sleepytime Bridge used to be.
This stream is usually a tiny trickle.
Here's where it ended up- 100+ feet downstream, wedged against some trees.
It's going to be a pain to move back into position. It's 10x4 feet and solidly built. And there is NO WAY the tractor is getting down in that area for quite a while.
The other bridge- Twaddlebottom- was completely swept away- through the tunnel, under the highway and down stream.
Here go the guys, on an expedition to find the lost bridge.
Look at all that flattened grass! That's how wide the stream was!
They finally located the lost bridge over a quarter of a mile away but weren't able to retrieve it. It will have to be carried out of the stream valley, over a barbed wire fence, through 200 yards of waist high weeds, over another fence, through a cornfield and finally to Fox Lane, the road across from our house, then home. That's a long way. I'm just wondering how it managed to fit through that tunnel. That bridge is 7 x 4 feet. What a raft ride that would have been!
Tomorrow is supposed to be dry but then there is a chance for more rain for the rest of the week. Ugh! I would gladly send some rain elsewhere if I had that power! My garden is sodden and I sink when I even walk across the yard! I'll need to wade in tomorrow to pick peas.
V did find a wild turkey nest but several of the eggs were broken. We're not sure if they had hatched already or if something had raided the nest. Mama bird was no where to be seen and what was left of the eggs had been so washed by water I couldn't see how they looked inside. It looked more to me like something had raided the nest. Hopefully mama turkey will return and hatch the remaining eggs. It's funny because I had recently remarked that I'm surprised we haven't seen any turkeys out here. Hm, they're evidently just hiding.

6 comments:

  1. I keep wishing the weather would cooperate for you all. I have relatives in the middle of the rain zone and have heard how frustrating it is. Wow on the pictures of the stream and the other pictures you posted. Sorry to hear about the toll on your garden. Hope the peas are holding up and the rest of the veg pull through. How has the rest of your house fared? I'm glad you and your family are safe

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  2. Thanks for the well wishes. The house is fine- we're up on a hill away from the wetlands and streams. We did have a little water in the basement but nothing like we had last summer. It's quite the grand adventure- at least the boys think so!
    Judy

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  3. So sorry to hear about your bridges being washed out-what crazy rains everyone seems to be having this year-and I sit here with none.
    Imagine the force of that water to carry the bridge so far...must have been something to see!

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  4. ohmigosh! Crazy weather, and I fear more things are in store for us... it seems to get stranger every year. I hope things are so destroyed there, I can't believe 40 ft wide, that's no creek, that's a river! Now go fix up your Troll Bridge!

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  5. Holy Cow! Can't believe all the rain you had and that it washed the one bridge so far away! Some parts of West Virginia, southern part, has had a lot of flooding, many homes and autos washed down the streets and rivers. AND...thank goodness you got your basement problems fixed when you did!!! We have been having 90 degree and very humid weather...more like August than June. Weird weather all across the country this summer. Very strange!...debbie

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  6. Oh the weather - what is it like? It was my birthday bash on Saturday - Friday was glorious, yesterday (Sunday) was glorious, today is glorious - Saturday was terrible! Typical eh?

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