So you've probably read about the flooding in Laie, Hawaii, on everyone else's blogs, but if you haven't here are the links to a couple to fill you in:
http://cruisinkoolauloa.honadvblogs.com/2008/12/12/more-flood-photos/
http://laceyandsethkressin.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html#8871405511244928379
http://fabulouslifeofruby.blogspot.com/2008/12/can-you-say-flash-flood.html
http://tafunafamily.blogspot.com/2008/12/rain-rain-go-away.html
They have pictures and/or videos so you can see all the action. I didn't really get a chance to take pictures, 1. Because my camera was inside Foxy (my car) and 2.Because unlike some, THE WATER DID COME IN OUR HOUSE! Needless to say, I have been a little preocupied the last two days.
First, I must admit, that we were extremely fortunate. The neighbors right next door to us and across the street from us got at least 18 inches of water throughout their entire house (if not more) while we only got a few inches (if that) and not throughout our whole house. I am thankful for the prayers and support, and can't complain too much because our situation could have been a lot worse.
I woke up Thursday morning to Aunty Irene yelling to Jan to wake me up and have me move my car. I had heard the rain all night but nothing really registered in my head. Maybe because it was 6 in the morning, but even the panic and urgency in Aunty and Jan's conversation didn't phase me. I thought it was trash day and I had left Foxy on the street. In case you didn't get it before, Foxy is my car, I won't explain it again! I rolled out of bed and then asked what was going on.
Aunty screamed, "GREG! Go move your car into the driveway, hurry, its flooding."
Having never been in a flood, I still wasn't that phased but quickly ran out to my car. The moment I stepped into the street I realized that the water was a lot deeper than I expected--up to my knees. It was almost level with my door and I could see Aunty's urgency in me moving FOxy. I pulled her into the driveway, but never in a million years expected the water to keep rising like it did.
Soon the water was waste deep in the middle of the street and knee deep in our driveway. I could literally see the water line rise higher than our back door and watched as the water started to spill into our house from the front door. I had seen neighbors evacuating their houses in canoes. I had heard the horror stories of neighbors houses being 3 feet deep in water. We quickly tried to flood proof our house as best as could (every towel or sheet was used in the process) and then prayed for the rain to stop. We watched powerless as the water kept rising, but miracle of all miracles, the rain did stop!
Luckily the rivers and drains that were clogged got unclogged and our little town drained. The damage had been done already. The water was knee-deep in our garrage and so we went to work cleaning it out. The carpet in our house was ripped out as well as most of the houses on the street. It looked like a total disaster zone as everyone tried to clean up quickly.
I looked inside Foxy and she had about 3 inches of water in her. I started to scoop the water out after we had finished cleaning the garrage, but then the rain picked up again.
So all day Friday was spent cleaning, helping neighbors and worrying about Foxy. Turns out she won't start and about 4 or 5 other cars got towed away because they all drown. I keep hoping Foxy just needs to dry out (inside too because she smells aweful, but don't tell her I said that) and then she will start up good as new, but i'm starting to have my doubts :(
The bad part is that Foxy may never get the chance to dry out! It started to rain hard again tonight-technically it's saturday morning at 2:17 am but since I still haven't gone to bed we'll count it as Friday night. It was the kind of rain that caused the flood, but it didn't last as long. The Thunder and Lighning was unbelievable though. It was so bright and so loud it litterally shook our house like an earthquake. No, I'm not exaggerating and Yes I've experienced several earthquakes so I know what they feel like! OUR HOUSE LITTERALLY SHOOK! I don't know when this rain is going to stop, but it needs to! A telephone pole went down blocking the road to get out of Laie and then if by some miracle your car could leap over the telephone pole the road fell off into the ocean a little ways further! The other side has landslides and ponds blocking it so the rain really needs to stop if I'm going to fly home for Christmas.
So along with Me, add Foxy to your prayer list and All the people in Laie. Many of them didn't have flood insurance and many lost all of their furniture.
