Ot. Flushed Away

[steffi 001]

No.Not the new movie. And no...not my usual lavatorial sense of humour.
But my home...and garden. Flushed away.Yesterday.

At 7,00am the beck at the front of my home was rising in the torrential rain we have been suffering in the UK for the past few weeks.By 7.30am the water was up to my door.By 8.00am my home was a lake ,the road outside a raging river...and my front and back garden submerged by muddy,contaminated silt and sludge.

I was home with my two children,my husband in the middle of the North sea where he works.We set to and cleaned up where we could when the water had drained,but mid afternoon we looked on in horror as the rain came again,the road transformed into an almighty river this time,with a current that was treacherous.And my home once again transformed into Loch Ness.This time the damage was even greater.It rose above the sockets so the electricity had to be cut and I had no phone..the mobiles were out of power and we had no way to recharge them.My husband flew home to a scene of absolute devastation.

But ..you know...it really doesn`t matter.What have we lost? A few possessions.Yes...some of my furniture was antique and possibly irreplaceable but we are still here...still breathing...still mobile enough to clean the filth and the muck away...still here to take a mop and deal with the sludge.
And for that I am truly thankful.Three people in different areas lost their lives so it puts it all in perspective doesn`t it?

The saddest sight for me was when my son ,almost knee deep in dirty cold water,broke down in despair at the futile efforts we had made to rescue stuff...he sadly watched as objects drifted around in this alien sea ...exhausted himself from having worked so hard to save this item and that item,heaving sofas and chairs in vain,wresting duvets and towels,rugs and bean bags to stem the urgent tide of water that seeped through our doorways at an alarming rate.
My heart went out to him.. But I was able to say "It doesn`t matter.We did our best.
WE are still here."

ANd now...now that the water has disappeared ,and we are left with the cleaning up and sorting out of insurance ....no heating,no cooker,no this and that...I am still not sad .

Because that`s all they are.Life`s collectibles. Lost at sea.
I sure as hell won`t miss em but the thought of missing my family`s smiles,tears,arguments...etc etc.? Doesn`t bear thinking about.

Yes...I continue to be one lucky lucky lady.

Steff

ps.Does anyone know how to upload a photo in these posts cos I`d love you all to see my "water garden" :rolleyes:

[oyster]

for your tragedy. having lived through a number of hurricanes i know exactly how you must feel. try to keep your good attitude and be sure to get rest. yes , aflood or hurricane will remind us of whats realy important- loved ones, especialy kids and human kindness and compassion.

[EnglishCountryDancer]

I am so sorry.You are right family are the most important but how awful.

[steffi 001]

thank you for your kind thoughts.I am ok truly.You know you see this type of thing on tv and hope /think it will never happen to you but when it does...well...what can i say...just another life experience that helps you get it all in perspective.I hope you don`t get the severe weather where you are ECD or at least if you do,that it won`t affect your home.Sorry too Oyster about your experiences .Hurricanes!!! How did you cope? It caught us by surprise because we are not classed as a "flood" hazhard area but the weather has been so freak that thousands in Britain are in the same "boat" pardon the pun.My heart goes out to the elderly and those who live in bungalows.At least we have a dry upper floor.

Bless you for caring
Love
Steff
x

[paula_w]

Steffi,

You've got the right frame of mind and here's one of those times when the emotional vacuum often felt with this creepy illness can actually help. Stay positive, that's all you can do right now. Just shrug your shoulders a couple hundred of times....it didn't sound as if you were safe either.

Never was Larry J's quote more appropriate: We fall down, we get back up again, we fall do....et al

Larry J a voice from the past and can be seen in Tena's video, as a sidenote for the curious

Try not to overdo it.....wishing you the best.
Paula

[BEMM]

Thank you for reminding us that things are just things. Thank goodness you only did lose things, but I am truly sorry about all the things you did lose.
When the water recedes and the cleanup begins you are entitled to some crying and some **&%%%^. You're taking this awful disaster absolutely beautifully.
All the very best wishes for a not too painful restoration of house and garden.

And hugs of comforting,

birte

[jeanb]

Steffi, I am so very sorry about what has happened. So glad you and your loved ones are ok - but the coming days and weeks and months will be so hard.

Years ago my family and I went through a disaster where we lost all of our belongings in a fire, but we were OK. Things are just things, but it is still hard to cope after such an event.

Thoughts & prayers are with you and yours, :hug:

[Curious]

:hug: sending you another pm steffi. keep your chin up. way up...above that sludge ya hear!

we are flooding here in texas too. it breaks my heart to watch the news of the lives lost. 3 children in 1 storm. so many without homes.

got you in the my thoughts and prayers. i'm glad you are ok.

[therese]

Steffi...I MUST add to the other posts, here, and feel that I need to "speak" to you, too. Your home...your beautiful gardens literally swept away before your eyes... One moment, these things were there in all their beauty...the next, there was absolute devastation. It must almost seem unreal to you...yet you perceive all this as a "life lesson", i.e., what really is important in life....something we can all take away from your terrible experience...and something that we all need to remember in our darkest moments. This will be firmly etched in my mind so that when adversity may "strike", I hope I will be able to remember, well, your "life lesson".

God Bless, Steffi...
Therese

[Thelma]

Boy Steffi you do know what is important in this little episode they call life. Stay with it girl as you are on course.

Never mind the falls we take it is finding the darn horse again that prevents some of us from riding off once again into the sunset

If you know what the devil I am talking about pm me as I don't lol

Feeling a bit nuts today.

[maryfrances]

Steffi

You are one amazing young woman!!!!
When I grow up, I want to be like you!!

LOL
Mary
:hug:

[steffi 001]

is OVERWHELMING !!! I have cried tears this morning...but not for my sad and dejected looking possessions. But for the way you have all put your arms around me in one huge comforting verbal hug. And I thank you...so so much.

During the second flood,when I was welly deep in muddy water,watching in disbelief as my home and my garden were ravaged a second time...I had to laugh. For I suddenly realised that despite being surrounded by a tidal wave....my greenhouse which is full of tomatoes,cucumbers,peppers, foxgloves and canterbury bells ....needed ...WAIT FOR IT....
WATERING :confused:

And there I was....crying with laughter [probably hysterical laughter] standing at my kitchen sink...filling two watering cans to take up to my greenhouse!!! Oh the irony of it all.

Anyhow...am working on the pictures which,I will attempt to put on pretty soon.

And to those who are going through the same thing at the minute...or who have been through similar...my own heartfelt sadness for you.And pray that you remain safe.

With my love
Steff
x

[aftermathman]

and have a feeling I may be watching the same thing soon.

Steffi, I know people who have been flooded in Evesham and it is a horrible experience. Unfortunately it takes longer than expected to dry things out and repair, however if you are careful with the insurance you can come out of this with something positive.

God bless global warming and its freak weather :(

Take care,
Neil.

[Suffolkchris]

Steff

I had a power shower pump burst at home late last year.
Within minutes the kitchen ceiling below was down (luckily no one was in there at the time) and before I could stop the flow of water most of the ground floor of our house was flooded.

I sat in the conservatory (the only dry downstairs area) almost paralised by the shock of how much damage was caused and so quickly.

But unlike you I was at least able to stop the water and it was clean water (well apart from that mixed with bits of the kitchen ceiling).

I cannot begin to imagine how it must have felt when the second flood wave started. I think I would have been carted off with my jacket on backwards.

It is wonderful that you appear to have emotionally handled it so well.
For your PD that is so important. The stress that I was unable to fight off resulted in my PD pills not working effectively for about three days.

You are an amazing lady Steff.

Chris

[CTenaLouise]

it seems that life is a series of loss -so that you let go of all the unimportant
things and hold fast to the people you love, :grouphug:

this quote I like -
Life is made of ever so many partings welded together.
Charles Dickens

[Chemar]

dear Steffi

I just saw the photo you uploaded to our NT photo album of your flooding
( http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/photos/index.php )

I am so sorry to hear of this and I just commend you on the way you are handling a really awful situation, and what an inspiration to all of us to read of how your priorities are so in place!

my thoughts and prayers are with you and others in my beloved England as you deal with this flooding.
:grouphug:
Cheri

[CTenaLouise]

I have flickr it was given to me as a gift.

if you can send photo to me - I will put them on flickr for you,
as I have done this photo.
clouiseparis@gmail.com

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1252/639077982_a5670d8a18.jpg
it has it's own url now
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1252/639077982_a5670d8a18.jpg

my old online name was lavenderlou
here is my flickr url - http://www.flickr.com/photos/lavenderlou/

[steffi 001]

...for your continued support.I watched the news today at my sisters and continued to feel one of the lesser hit.In some areas of England it is much much worse although my village was deemed to have caught the worst of it on Monday.Even closer to home,my poor poor neighbours who are elderly,have lost so much more as they live in a bungalow.When I visited yesterday,I could sense the utter despair and devastation.Who at their age,needs to be starting over ?They were so bewildered and I felt so sad for them.


Yet I strangely have no ache for my own material loss.I am both bemused and amused by this...and am certainly no saint in my acceptance of this situation.It is just quite simply the way I feel. A far cry from the girl who freaked out if her knicker elastic was loose at the tender age of 5 . Thank goodness.

Yikes. Loose knickers. What a TART!!!

love
Steff
x

[Maureen]

Steffi,
I lack the words to tell you how awful I feel for what you are going through. Your courage is only one of many fine qualities I have come to admire in you in the brief time I have been visiting this forum. Your grace is something else altogether. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Best Always, Maureen

[CTenaLouise]

are you okay?
you all are in my prayers.

here's some flooding pictures of Yorkshire...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6240038.stm

:grouphug:

[olsen]

Steffi, I am so sorry to hear of your plight. You and yours are in my payers.
what pluck you exhibit. madelyn

[steffi 001]

...what use is posting something if it doesn`t serve a purpose...so...
I hope that this thread is more than purely an account of my situation at the minute.And therefore i`ve been thinking...Steff thinking?!!!:confused:

Seeing as these floods are predicted to hit again this weekend in the UK...and by all accounts you are experiencing similar in parts of the States...I wondered if it would help if I were to highlight a few things I personally have learned in going through this.Practical stuff I mean.
No-one unless in a demarked flood area can be prepared for the speed at which the water enters your home.I found that out the hard way.I found that as my children and I were trying to dam up one doorway with towels and the like,it was fast entering another doorway.And once through the barricade,nothing stopped it.It seeped across the floor faster than we could move ourselves.
So...
in preparation for a possible encore this weekend,we have looked at the low level of our home and it is astonishing how much stuff is stored at that level.We have totally cleared the lower cupboards [you don`t have time once it has started to flood] you don``t have space either to stack everything...so we are ready this time.
I lost personal stuff [my mums handwritten recipes ]which were stored in pretty baskets on the floor,along with magazines,brochures.etc.
A video was still in the unit again at low level on one of these compact stands.The water claimed it.
I discovered stray shoes floating around...garbage bins,heavy and stable on dry ground become boats which tip up depositing their messy contents as they sail around.
Any low level pots do the same and cause obstacles which can be tripped over as they lie unseen..as do cushions etc.
In the garden...muddy water masks plant pots..again a falling hazhard.
A forgotten garden tool or brush is a death trap,as are popping drains which burst their covers.
As the water rises we needed to shut the electrics so we needed to locate candles etc easily and quicky.Our phones were down,our mobiles uncharged...a poor oversight by us....

I scooped one lot of curtains off the floor but failed to make it with its matching pair.Ruined.
I could only have saved my suite had there have been a stronger person around.
The neighbours only just managed to rescue tiny pets,hamsters etc as they were taken up with their home and children.
I have never lived through this before.I have learned by experience.

To those who may be at risk..perhaps just one of these pointers will help.
Hope so.
Love
Steff
x

[shiney sue]

What a mess but i'm happy you and the family are all ok. Poor Texas
and OK are really getting it here,so my prayers go out to your family
and the folks in Tx. and Ok. and whoops well we are getting a little
in mo. Courious i'm glad we heard from you will the rest of the group please
speak up. Once again S.i hope you get some rest..:( Sue

[steffi 001]

...I promise I won`t keep this thread going much longer.There are some other important issues which really need to be at the top of this forum ...so all I wish to add,is another heartfelt thank you to the latest folk who have been kind to me with their thoughts.Bless you.

I have spent the day cleaning up as much as possible.The professional cleaners are coming in tomorrow to disinfect and make the place a bit safer.It absolutely reeks in my home.My fridge is full of contaminated water,as are my dishwasher,dryer and washing machine..not to mention my aga.All of my cupboards are well ruined,as are their contents.The untainted stuff has had to be boxed up and removed and my garden is strewn with all the materials we desperately used to stop the water from coming in.Yes...indeed...my home and garden are well sad looking at the minute.

Quite sinister really.This morning brought sunshine and a meandering gentle beck. Not the torrential river that sucked and whirled it`s contents around two days ago. There is truth in the old saying
"What a difference a day makes"
Well I feel well equipped to add "What a difference a minute makes" and at the risk of being dubbed as too deep and analytical.....I` `think I will hold on to that thought...making each minute count as best as I can.

But then again ...I am human..flawed and forgetful. And I guess there will be many many moments when I throw away those minutes..until something catches my attention and draws me back again.

And I am not being hard on myself when that happens.Because this is quite simply....Life.

My thoughts and prayers to you folk who are going through similar.
I feel I can genuinely say...I understand.

Stay safe.
Love
Steff
x

[EnglishCountryDancer]

Just to say I am thinking of you at this time

[steffi 001]

Hi...a final thank you to all of you. ECD...haven`t seen if your area is safe or not but praying it is...likewise Neil. And now I am not sure if we are about to be hit a third time but sand bags have already been deposited in our village.
Fingers crossed it will just be a precaution and not a necessity.
And now I am going to request that this thread be closed. You have all been so warm and caring.
:grouphug:

ps...just wanted to add that the pic shown on this thread is actually a " paddle" compared to the flood at its worst.At its peak it came to the top of the white posts you see in the photo...the danger being that anyone not realising the beck was there,would have been swept away.We are so so lucky.

[chasmo]

thats the important thing. The rest can be fixed or replaced. Soon this unpleasant episode will be a distant memory.
Let the pro's do the bulk of the cleanup!

thinking or you!!

Charlie

[Teretxu]

Dear Steffi,
What a frightening experience! Although a little late, I still want to add my well-wishes on this thread. I hope you were able to save your family photographs and important documents, even if other valuables were lost.
A flooded house is just as devastating as a burned one. We lost all our family documents when my great-grandparents house burned down. It suddenly erased our family history, my grandson and other children of this new generation will see no photographs of their ancestors, no original old land titles, no wills, no birth and marriage certificates...it's all gone.

It must be horrible for your children, to suddenly realize that their home, their shelter, is no longer a shield from the elements. Every rainy night will be a sleepless night from now on. I hope the competent authorities will be able to widen the watercourses, dig flood channels or build dikes or something to avoid future catastrophes.

A big hug
Teresa

[steffi 001]

I wan`t going to say too much more...but just had to respond to your kind messages.Thank you ...truly thank you.Today has seen the start of the professional " clean up" operation and our skirting boards and any other loose timbers have been removed for disnfecting behind them,and of course dehumidifiers have been put into place to begin the long haul of drying out the walls and floors.
Yes...we are in a MESS with a capitol M. LOL
But you know...we are all smiling and getting on with it.We could very easily break I suppose,especially when you see all your furniture piled in a heap on the back garden...and bag loads of contaminated food being thrown...etc.
BUT....and this is the important thing which keeps us going.
Unlike your own experience Theresa...we have not lost our personal things.We still have our photo`s,documents,id`s...it is all there and a fire must have been absolutely devastating.How very sad. Very sad indeed .
My children are fine too...they have been distracted whilst the clean up takes place and will both be involved in the rebuilding of it all.We will attemp[t to make it "fun"...but that is not negating the absolute seriousness of a natural disaster like this.I repeat many times...we have been fortunate.

Oh bless you for your lovely lovely messages.

:grouphug:

[Chemar]

Steffi

so glad the sun is shining again and that you can begin recovery.

I am sure you are seeing a very special community closeness grow from this disaster.
After my area of Florida got whammied by four hurricanes (!!) in a row in summer 2004, we were all without electricity for weeks and many had severe damage, and it truly was touching to see people looking out for one another and neighbors really becoming friends as all pulled together.

my thoughts and prayers remain lifted for you:hug:

[steffi 001]

I really wasn`t intending to keep adding,but again I must say thank you Chemar.How very traumatic...hurricanes must be absolutely terrifying. And no electricity for weeks.How awful...and yet you are so right about folk pulling together.,today I have sat and the tears have just flowed...but not for my own plight...but for the situation that my elderly neighbours are in.
Their once beautiful and passionately cared for front garden is now a heap of furniture.Absolutely everything has been ripped from their home.

I managed to stay up;beat whilst in their company but once behind closed doors..I broke my heart.

[steffi 001]

It has been inferred through a private mail that my life seems to be "one round of adventure to try to turn into an opportunity."
AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT? Might I ask?

Perhaps this person would like pictures of my furniture stacked way high in the garden.
Perhaps I should be a whingeing whining complainer.
Perhaps I should try to make everybody on this site bloody miserable and feel sorry for me...instead of my upbeat manner.
Perhaps I should moan at every touch and turn about my goddamn lot.
Maybe if I were argumentative...belligerent,bombastic and self opinionated...that would fit better.
Maybe if I analysed everyones posts and did my best to shred them...then that would suit.
Or better still, be confrontational.

Maybe I should choose someone to blame...my past...my peers...my friends...this forum. Now that would

I can`t give myself an excuse for this angry outburst other than someone has a double edged sword for a tongue.And I no longer can keep my patience or be gracious about the little jibes and digs.

No...sadly I can`t excuse myself this outburst by giving myself a "medical condition|" that would seemingly allow me to say what I like,when I like,how I like...and negate it all by blaming a medical condition.

What you see here is me...angry,...blazing angry.

I am sorry I have duped you all...mislead you all.....taken you in....held your attention in this way...pretendedc to be interested in you...pretended to show compassion and understanding.
WOW/....I should really be on the stage and up for an oscar if I were that good.



I have requested again that this thread be closed.

That is all.
Steff

[Chemar]

Dear Steffi

please do not leave without letting me help you resolve this

I am going to lock your thread as that is what you have requested at this time when you are clearly upset, and I can re-open it anytime you feel it is ok

Steffi
you are VERY precious to us and we value you here as a member


:hug: