Following the flood

I am back in Iowa for the first time since August. Unfortunately, it is not for recreational reasons. As mentioned in my last post, I am facing possible flooding around my house. I came back to monitor the situation, and to see what I could possibly do to protect my house.

I felt incredibly sick to my stomach as the plane banked for landing, and I saw some of the flooding that has already occurred around Omaha. The airport would be under water already if it weren't for the levee system in place.

My friend Julie picked me up at the airport, and we drove to where I had some stuff in storage. I was afraid the storage place would be under water, and I felt at least in the upstairs of my house had a chance of not being flooded. My mechanic picked up my motorcycle (the Drama Queen).

My house was not surrounded by water yet, but the ditch at the edge of my property already had several feet of water because the water table was so high.

Julie and I drove down the road to look at the dike, about a mile to a mile and a quarter away from my house. I felt a sinking in the pit of my stomach when I saw the water already approaching the dike--the six dams upstream will be ramping up output daily to the tune of about 2 inches/day increase in water level until the highest output is reached (about 4 feet total). This water output will then be sustained until the end of the summer, so the water will not just crest and then dissipate. It will hang around until September or even as late as October.

Here is the water creeping closer to the dike:

This is standing next to the dike looking down the road toward my house:

There is a privately incorporated part of Nebraska on the Iowa side of the river on a lane off this road. This lane has flooded and those houses are completely submerged. Julie and I saw this pontoon boat and motor boat near the beginning of the lane, which the home owners are using to access their stuff:

All-in-all a very depressing day.

The only positive note, other than seeing a couple friends again, was when Julie and I stopped by to visit her ponies in their 40 acre pasture. They are all sleek and shiny (unlike my poor mud-caked ponies who have only had one five-day long respite from the rain and water all year).

So much to try to accomplish with time ticking down, so I will update as I can.