Shhhhhhh!!!!! Yes, we are all still here. Technically our daughter is the only one who has to leave (age 12) but I just don't see the point. 3 years ago we all stayed here and it was marginally worse than this will likely end up.
I am not a risk taker. I have a lot of respect for the almost freezing flood waters. Survival in it is very difficult should we happen to end up overboard. They say the muscles will work only a few minutes before they are too cold to function. I have lots of boating experience operating a boat and motor like we use here as I had to start doing it every year at the lake after my dad died when I was 11. This is not the time or place for recreational boating!
I suppose in the next few days we will likely be approached regarding evacuation once the authorities realize we are isolated. I feel pretty well equipped to defend my position of planning to stay here so we'll see how it goes. We managed to stay under the radar one other time. They simply forgot about us. Most others were contacted but somehow we were missed. Hopefully the same thing happens again!
-- Edited by Carl Stevenson on Friday 10th of April 2009 10:58:44 PM
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Technology is great. Not only does it help me document what is happening to help me prepare if/when this happens again but it also keeps me occupied taking pics etc. I have been looking back at pictures of previous flooding to help me recall how things went then.
We get along very well with our neighbours 1/2 mile away from here (he has to boat even sooner than we do) and he and I keep in touch by email constantly.
The best part of all is we don't feel so disconnected from the rest of the world.
It felt kind of strange to go out this afternoon and see the rest of the world functioning as if nothing is wrong!
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
This is the price you pay when you are out playing around and driving through roads that are starting to wash out-
This is the view as the water comes over the road and fills up the square mile (section) of land we are on-
Look at the picture of the white Jeep, look at the picture of the washout and now picture the Jeep in the ditch. My neighbour tells me that last night the kid in the Jeep ( I know him all too well!!) was playing again in the washout after midnight last night and put it in up to the windows. The kid is lucky that my neighbour a mile north spotted him there (interior lights were on or something, somehow he saw him there around 1 AM) and called 911. I guess they finally got a raft to rescue him. I assume he was wet. Last night it froze and was windy. He could have frozen to death very easily in that situation.
Some people don't take this stuff serious enough...
-- Edited by Carl Stevenson on Saturday 11th of April 2009 09:09:04 AM
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
For 5 years I did some mentoring with kids, one night a week. This is a Christian based program and this guy was one of the kids in our program so I got to know him real well. I kept having to tell myself that one day our efforts spending time with these boys will be worth while. When I see stuff like this it's as if nobody has ever talked to him about wise decision making. Many of the weekly lessons I prepared over those years had to do with how our decisions affect our life, not just short term...
Look very carefully in the center of the first photo.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
carl if you get out with the camera can you get some high water shots of the cars that didn't get moved to high ground. i think you said a nova and the impala.
95 Impala SS salvage auction, 94 Impala SS, salvage auction, 62 Nova, wasn't a salvage vehicle until now . All 3 of these are owned by the same guy and he was told to remove them a long time ago...
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Our service manager has one. He says it works great in this stuff. It's a big one too, 4 seater. Problem is, we are hauling groceries etc in and out so we have to use a boat.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Carl: good for you for caring. These kids need alot of good input these days and sometimes they still make mistakes, I guess so do we... It sounds like so much fun bombing through the water !lol Great that you spent the time though, I know my wife and I did that for 6years too with our local youth group.
The Nova underwater makes me cry !! Is this highwater or is it still supposed to rise ??
We are likely looking at about a foot more water still. I actually welcome that because right now it is a bit tough boating (not deep enough) and one more foot will make all the difference.
Also it will pretty much totally cover the roads and get all these goofs off that keep driving through the washouts. We just had another big Ford crew cab drive past our place.
That means he had to drive through the water at the extreme right of this pic. There is a whole bunch of unknown under those rapids.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Carl I heard this morning 75 south on Morris to be closed off Sunday morning. Later today they are closing off 23 west. looks like 23 east only way in now to Morris. I am going off to my Parents later today they have closed off Aubigny's dike on the west side also. Was supposed to go to a easter dinner In St Jean..That wont happen now, We'll postphone till things get better.
Carl I heard this morning 75 south on Morris to be closed off Sunday morning. Later today they are closing off 23 west. looks like 23 east only way in now to Morris. I am going off to my Parents later today they have closed off Aubigny's dike on the west side also. Was supposed to go to a easter dinner In St Jean..That wont happen now, We'll postphone till things get better.
They actually already closed 23 west last night. One of the men on the rescue effort for the Jeep driver told me it as closed when they went out after midnight last night.
We are planning to go to Morris shortly and we have to go through Aubigny. I assume they must be ramping the dike?
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
It just started running over the tracks this afternoon. Yes, often it washes away the base enough that they require major rebuilding later. After the flood of the century in 97 there were sections of track that looked like a roller coaster ride.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Today's flood report has changed the prediction. We will see 1/2 foot more water and the crest is a day later now, Tuesday instead of Monday. Won't really make a difference other than it makes boating easier with deeper water. It was a pain today with the prop touching here and there in ditches and fields. We rose a foot in the last 24 hours and I welcome another foot to make our access simpler.
We drove to Morris by car to day to see my wife's dad in the care home. Normally a 3 1/2 mile ride. It's almost 20 miles now after our 1 mile boat ride to the car. All said and done it's about a 35 minute adventure door to door now!
Some random shots from today as we traveled. If anyone wants to look at all the flood shots, my photobucket user ID is 1964gto and go to "Random 09 flood" album.
Someone actually drove a tractor down that road and pulled the Jeep out today. I can't believe they did that!
Our shed is visible in the very center of this shot. I can go down the driveway, 1/2 mile south or 1/4 mile north with the truck, and that is it. Otherwise it's boat due to washouts.
Coming into the hometown of our member Rolilk. Aubigny is a tiny village that is currently on our way to Morris!
In the town of Morris looking north down highway 75 towards Winnipeg. We are about 3 miles north of the dike.
Standing on the Morris dike looking north down highway 75.
Not quite an island here at home yet!
-- Edited by Carl Stevenson on Saturday 11th of April 2009 07:49:24 PM
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Someone asked me a while ago if it was a problem having critters taking refuge on our "island" during a flood, and I said yes. So far this time it appears we are lucky, it's only mice I think and I've seen a set of tracks in the snow that may be weasel, not sure (which is fine if he is here)
Anyway, we are sitting here, windows closed and hear a loud noise, followed a minute or so later by another loud noise. Our closest neighbours are either 1/2 mile south or 1/2 mile north and we know the sound carries VERY well across water. I opened the window in case we heard another noise. South wind right now. No more noises but suddenly a very strong aroma.......
Called the neighbour to the south and sure enough, Pepe le Pew had taken refuge under their big deck. This is a shot of their house taken a few hours ago. Plenty of places under there for a skunk!
-- Edited by Carl Stevenson on Saturday 11th of April 2009 10:25:53 PM
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Look at the picture of the white Jeep, look at the picture of the washout and now picture the Jeep in the ditch. My neighbour tells me that last night the kid in the Jeep ( I know him all too well!!) was playing again in the washout after midnight last night and put it in up to the windows. The kid is lucky that my neighbour a mile north spotted him there (interior lights were on or something, somehow he saw him there around 1 AM) and called 911. I guess they finally got a raft to rescue him. I assume he was wet. Last night it froze and was windy. He could have frozen to death very easily in that situation.
Some people don't take this stuff serious enough...
I think there is an actual official term for this = YMIS or Young Male Immortality Syndrome. They just do not think anything can happen to them so they behave dangerously.
Same thing happens here during hurricanes, YMIS playing in the surf.
Carl, your flood preparations have a lot in common with our hurricane preparations, except we have to do it with a lot less warning and it's over faster. I think the extended time frame of your situation is worse psychologically, more time to worry.
Sounds like you are well prepared. But since a persopn can always use it, I wish you good luck too!
Dave
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1956 Pontiac Pathfinder 2dr sedan, 496 - dyno'd 545 hp, stick shift, 4.11 posi - Hot Rod
Wow, dramatic rise overnight. Strong current around our island too. More later, gotta go move cars since they called to say my 6 speed Impala is sitting in water. I hope it's not too bad.....
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Wow Man I'm off to Aubigny today. Juts to see how the dike there is doing or even if the water is up to it? Hard to see that kind of sharp rise in level. Its most likely wind and current directions doing that, thats what gave me the most headache in 97. I would see water swells of upto 18" in an hour when the wind changed directions. Hope the wind is on your side and things drop just as fast as it comes. Again if you need aything stored maybe in Aubigny I can work something out for you. We have some storage place there for cars or whatever you want away from this. Or even back at my place. Might be kinda too late but its an option. Rod
-- Edited by Rolilk on Sunday 12th of April 2009 09:45:03 AM
-- Edited by Rolilk on Sunday 12th of April 2009 09:46:38 AM
Well you did say 6 inches would make boating easier looks like you got it. On another note I still get looks for people when you say some one who lives half a mile away was my neighbor . One of my best friends who I say was my neighbors growing up lived four and a half miles away.
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1957 Pathfinder deluxe 4 door wagon 1961 Pontiac Parisienne bubble top Traded for a Harley sorry guys.
Shhhhhhh!!!!! Yes, we are all still here. Technically our daughter is the only one who has to leave (age 12) but I just don't see the point. 3 years ago we all stayed here and it was marginally worse than this will likely end up.
. All 3 of these are owned by the same guy and he was told to remove them a long time ago...
1956 Pontiac Pathfinder 2dr sedan, 496 - dyno'd 545 hp, stick shift, 4.11 posi - Hot Rod