Feature Writer Alena Roberts – My First Flood
When I moved to Oregon almost 10 years ago, I knew that the biggest adjustment would be getting used to the weather. Specifically, as a desert rat, I would have to come to terms with all the rain. Over the years I’ve adjusted, and for the most part, Oregon rain doesn’t bother me. It might rain for days at a time, but the rain is usually light–however, this is not always the case. Last week brought us not only a bit of snow, but four inches of rain in one day.
January 18, 2012 has been recorded as the third largest amount of rainfall in one day in the last 100 years. Even though Oregon does well with lots of rain, that much rain in one day causes flooding. On that day, I was teaching my knitting class so I got home pretty late. As my husband and I were coming down the major street that leads to our neighborhood, we were stopped by a police blockade. The street had over a foot of standing water in places, and it wasn’t safe for us to drive through. This meant we had to park our car blocks away from our house and walk the rest of the way. The walk from the car was quite the adventure and my pants were soaked up to my knees by the time we arrived. Thankfully, the street we live on was not flooded so our house was fine.
Walking home through the high water was not dangerous because the water wasn’t moving, but if I had been alone with my guide dog it would have been much more frightening for me. So, since chance favors the well prepared, I did some research. According to FEMA, here are some things to do during a flood.
If you must prepare to evacuate, you should do the following:
- Secure your home.
- Collect your pets so that you can take them with you and/or leave them in a friend’s or relative’s care or at an emergency animal shelter.
- If you have time, move essential items to an upper floor.
- Turn off utilities at the main switches or valves if instructed to do so. Disconnect electrical appliances. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.
If you have to leave your home, remember the following:
- Do not walk through moving water. Six inches of moving water can make you fall. If you have to walk in water, walk where the water is not moving. Use a stick to check the firmness of the ground in front of you.
Winter sure does bring us some strange weather. I hope everyone stays safe.
Have you ever been in a flood? Tell us about your experience in the Reader’s Forum.