Two nights of window-rattling thunderclaps, constant lighting and terrifying emergency weather notifications buzzing our phones in the middle of the night means our household is probably more sleepy than soggy, thankfully. I am full of appreciation for Chris’ foresight in extensively examining floodplains before we bought our home; we are high and dry. But low and sopping would describe the area well, with over two feet of rain in 24 hours, bridges washed out, I-10 closures, and sections of Scenic Highway collapsed! Yikes!
NAS Whiting was mostly closed, so Chris and I took Captain Goodbaby to lunch. The above photo is the road we usually walk/jog down. The retention pond next to it was completely overflowed, and that thing was empty down about 20 feet just days ago. Sedans everywhere has been flooded and left, stalled, on the side of the road. It was like seeing the aftermath of a hurricane. Except fewer downed trees and more soggy cars. Our neighborhood water retention pond is about the size of a football field and 30 feet deep at least. It was totally full. And yesterday I’d remarked to Chris that the Simpson and Escambia rivers were higher than I’ve seen them except during the Hurricane Isaac surge. That was before half the rain had even fallen!
We were watching tv after the tot went to bed last night and Chris kept checking the weather.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“There are tornados in the area. Aren’t you worried?”
“No, because we still have internet and I haven’t heard anything like a train.”
Just then we heard a loud rushing that sounded exactly like 1. A jet taking off, and 2. a typhoon blowing downhill toward our house. I froze. Chris laughed at me a lot. And today the internet is out. Still have power though, and smart phones! AND a new pet turtle.
Captain Goodbaby and I “rescued” Theodore Turtle by pulling over to scoop him out of the gutter and place him on the passenger seat (no seatbelt).
Chris walked up to the car with Isaac inside hollering, “A TURTLE, Dad!! Look Daddy, a TURTLE!” “Uh huh!” Chris said cluelessly, not understanding tot-delight-shriek until he almost sat on the turtle (to the Captain’s GREAT amusement).
We released Theodore in our backyard because, why not, my sister found a pet turtle in her yard recently. The original Theodore Turtle. But anyway, it hid under the rosemary.
Isaac asked where it was and I told him it was hiding. He lit up, covered his eyes, and started counting. “Turtle! Where are you?” = our new favorite game. Theodore is currently winning. Or he ran away. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow. Maybe—it’s raining again!