Torrential rain fell in Northwest Louisiana for five consecutive days. For two days it was non-stop and the others it came and went.
As a result numerous people have suffered tremendous losses. If you're a resident of the area, you or someone you know has been effected by this week's weather disaster. Schools were closed and roads flooded out. People attempted to salvage their belongings using jon boats and helping hands when possible. However, many are now seeking shelter in hotels or with family and friends. Their homes are destroyed, whether there's a foot of standing water or their roofs are submerged, the damage is done.
I'm known for making the best of any situation I'm presented with. I exude happiness sometimes. Even now, in a house nearly encased by Caddo Lake, I'm remaining optimistic.
Yesterday morning my dad called for my brother and I to come help him take stuff out of the sheds because the water from the lake had risen to them. On a normal day, our house sits 80-100 yards from the lake. I think, "wow that's pretty high." Even with the heavy rains in May the shoreline was never more than 20 yards up I'd guess.
When we pull down the driveway I realize my dad meant, "The rain has risen to three and a half feet of standing water in the shed."
We wade through the freezing lake water and start filling ice chests with tools, carrying extension cords and weedeaters above our heads to 'shore.'
The water is to my waist. I'm 5'9''.
I'm secretly scared shitless a water moccasin is gonna come swimming past me at any moment and I jump every time something brushes my leg in the dirty water I'm encompassed by. However, I said to dad, "this is funny." He responds with the obvious, "no, it's not." And I hit him with, "dad we're waste deep in water in our shed. This will definitely be funny once the lake resides and we've put all this shit back."
After we clear what we can, we then need to remove the John Deere lawnmower from the shed and make it the 20 yards to 'shore.' So let me tell y'all, not only does nothing run like a Deere, but nothing floats like those puppies, either. I'm kidding that mower was heavy as hell, but we made it, and we were proactive cause had we waited it would've ruined... The water rose another foot and a half over night.
We were lucky. The lake is supposed to crest at midnight tonight and shouldn't rise further. So although Caddo Lake is directly off the back porch steps currently, it is not in our home. No ruined floors, walls, etc. Exactly a half mile down the road is an evacuated street with homes submerged in water. And all throughout the region are more.
Here's my deal. It's a headache, stressful and heartbreaking no doubt. But, at the end of the day, it's stuff. However valuable or precious it may be to you, it's replaceable in some form. I don't know the statistics, but as far as lives go, it seems few were lost.
Secondly, it sounds crazy but I love when natural disasters happen because for a few hours, days or weeks, the people affected by it become aware, attentive and altruistic. Not to say some people aren't always, but you know where I'm coming from.
Our neighbor, Mr. Dennis, is lacking exactly five inches of water before his home is flooded and he spent the day sawing and hauling limbs with us off a power line that'd fallen on another neighbor's power line.
So if you lose everything in a situation like this week's disaster, always remember there truly is a worse possible scenario. So pray, send good vibes, hope, wish or whatever it is you do for the residents of Louisiana because although the rain has calmed, the storm may only be beginning.
Left: March 12 @ 1p.m.
Right: March 13 @ 3p.m.
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