Originally posted June15, 2008…
Where to begin…
As most of you know, there has been some really wacky weather in Indiana this summer. Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and flooding have all been experienced in the first two weeks of June. On June 3rd, the northern part of Columbus experienced what is now being considered straight-line winds (it sure felt like a tornado!). Tom’s work and the surrounding area sustained serious damage – including several old-growth trees uprooted, telephone poles snapped in half and the roof blown off a business just across the street. Tom’s facility had an 18’ pine tree snapped in half, nearly half a ton of branches downed, 10’ privacy fencing blown down in three areas (including a 4×6??? post sheered off at the base!), a broken window, a 10×10’ section of shingles ripped off and miscellaneous other damages were incurred. Although there was no power for nearly two hours, there were (thankfully) zero injuries.
Later that night, the winds came again; this time to Greensburg. We went to WTRE when the sirens sounded (they have a basement), where we aided Sandy in keeping the public alert to the breaking weather and other related news stories for nearly an hour and a half – live on the air– until the storms had passed. A couple tornadoes came very close, but stayed a couple miles away – in the northern side of Decatur County.
Just four days later, the severe thunderstorms hit and hit hard. Not only did Columbus become (quite literally) an island, but Greensburg suddenly hosted new lakes everywhere around town. The three rivers encircling Columbus swelled to the point that all roads were closed in/out of town for a period of time – most for several days, as Columbus was closed and declared a state of disaster.
The hospital where all three children were born (CRH) was severely damaged and is still closed today – severely impacting Ann’s work. The entire basement floor flooded, floor to ceiling. The water then went up the ducts to the first floor, where it continued to rise many feet further. There is currently no emergency room in Columbus and they estimate that it will take AT LEAST three months and most likely more to open sections of the facility. It is very sad and the government (FEMA, Red Cross, and National Guard) has been sent in to help in the recovery efforts.
Greensburg was also a mess. Our street had about a half foot of water for most of a day. WTRE had a new pond that only recently went down. It was home to several water fowl. The creeks swelled to record levels and many people were victimized by the flooding. Both Main and Lincoln streets were closed due to the high water – as were many streets around town. The creek by our house that normally flows smoothly at 12’ across was nearly 10 times that width. MaryAnn and Sandy had over a foot of water in their basement. Chad, Deanna, Tom & Matthew all helped with the clean up efforts. Chad & Deanna also experienced flooding in their basement as well. In addition, we have had to plot a different route to and from work, as a section of road was completely washed away when the Shafer Lake overflowed (we thought the levee had crumbled but that is not what happened according to the news).
Outside of that, the kids continue to play baseball & softball nearly every night that isn’t raining. Matt’s team is continuing to do well. He has been hot at the plate lately and recently hit in the tying RBI and scored the game winning run in a come-from-behind win in extra innings! Abby continues her torrid pace with an astronomical batting average…now if the team can consistently play solid defense they could make some noise in the tournament! We finally got Abby’s team pictures taken tonight – after three rain-outs/postponements…of course the game ended up getting suspended due to rain in the 2nd inning…it was only fitting! J Luke’s team is fun to watch as they get better and better with each game. Even though they only last 2 innings, we are lucky to keep half the team interested in the game through the first inning! J Lola is still healthy and happy, growing nearly as fast as the kids. She is a joy to have around and really keeps things fun and interesting around the house.
Hope everyone has a good Father’s Day…the forecast is calling for sunshine!