Harvey Help through donated quilts...

My husband and I followed with sadness and empathy as the results of Hurricane Harvey unfolded. Our prayers are with those affected by this disaster and the rescuers who have put themselves in harms way for others. It's both heartbreaking and inspiring.

Four years ago this month our hometown experienced what they later dubbed "Colorado's 100 Year Flood," which is basically a storm that has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year. It was devastating for those whose homes or businesses were flooded along the front range in Colorado, but we were all touched by it. We worked for weeks and months cleaning up after that flood. Here are a few of my words from that time:

Neighborhood in Longmont, September 2013

Photo Credit: Peyton Peterson

"It's interesting how memorable experiences in life are sometimes painful, sweet, and inspiring all at the same time. This week has been like that for me. A week ago much of northeastern Colorado experienced a devastating flood. It has affected all who live here and will continue to impact many lives for years to come. Unless you've seen a flood of this magnitude first hand, there's really no way one can comprehend the destruction. The amazing photos don't even do it justice because pictures are so one dimensional. It's hard to explain, but when you are in the middle of the devastation all your senses are painfully aware of the damage around you. You see it. You hear it. You smell it. You feel it. So terribly sad, yet...

 I have seen amazing acts of selflessness, compassion, and kindness this last week. So many have helped flood victims in one way or another. It has been gratifying to see how the communities, churches, organizations and individuals have rallied around those most affected by the chaos. Helping in one way or another has been the norm, not the exception."

It is because of those experiences that we felt such sorrow as we watched the situation in Texas unfold. Plus, the situation in Texas is so much more widespread and devastating than it was in Colorado.

That's why, when I came upon a post on Facebook, I was happy to find this creative way to help a few affected by the flood. I know my teeny contribution is a drop in the bucket, but with lots of drops the bucket gets filled. A quilting shop in Texas, called Quilt Haus, and the charity quilting group, HUGS, have come together to supply donated quilts to victims of Hurricane Harvey. Fortunately, I just happen to have a bunch of already-made quilts in my closets. Today I mailed off three children's quilts that I had originally made for three of my grandchildren for Christmas. I figured they could be easily replaced, and I was so grateful to have a way to donate on such a personal level.

You too can donate. Just follow Quilt Haus on Facebook. There you will be able to get all the pertinent information on how to donate your blankets, quilts, fabric, or time (if you live near New Braunfels, Texas). They will be receiving and distributing donations throughout September.

There are so many ways to help those affected by Harvey, but since I have a number of followers who sew, I thought I'd pass this information along, because there might be some of you that would like to donate to this cause as well.

"Flood Longmont with Food"...

It's interesting how memorable experiences in life are sometimes painful, sweet and inspiring all at the same time. This week has been like that for me. A week ago much of northeastern Colorado experienced a devastating flood. It has affected all who live here and will continue to impact many lives for years to come. Unless you've seen a flood of this magnitude first hand, there's really no way one can comprehend the destruction. The amazing photos don't even do it justice because pictures are so one dimensional. It's hard to explain, but when you are in the middle of the devastation all your senses are painfully aware of the damage around you. You see it. You hear it. You smell it. You feel it. So terribly sad, yet...

I have seen amazing acts of selflessness, compassion and kindness this last week. So many have helped flood victims in one way or another. It has been gratifying to see how communities, churches, organizations and individuals have rallied around those most affected by the chaos. Helping in one way or another has been the norm, not the exception.

On Saturday I was part of an amazing event called "Flood Longmont with Food." This volunteer group of over 150 people -- comprised of students, church members, friends and neighbors -- packed over 1600 sack lunches for other volunteers, first responders and homeowners working "in the trenches" in the most affected areas of our town.

It was an amazing experience to witness this group work together to meet the goal of making 1500 sack lunches. Attached to the lunch bags were sweet handwritten notes created at the event by children of the volunteers thanking the recipients. A sack lunch might fill a stomach, but these notes were priceless. I especially liked one that read, "Weeee thank you. Skip. Skip. Skip." {Rocks skipping over water -- very applicable in flooded areas!}

(source)

After the lunches were assembled, delivery drivers with helpers loaded up their cars with over 100 lunches, hygiene kits, and water and took the goods to specific areas of town. I was fortunate enough to be on one of those crews. It was so wonderful to be able to thank the volunteers who were doing the dirty work {taking water/mud out of homes, clearing out basements of mud-soaked furniture, tearing down sheetrock and taking out insulation from homes} in this very tangible way. This was such a meaningful event, and I feel so fortunate to have been a part of it!

Flood Recovery...

What a day. I don't think I could have imagined just how bad the flooding had been in certain neighborhoods in our town if I hadn't seen it myself. I'm still shaking my head. The rushing flood waters were so strong that it washed away the earth beneath these railroad tracks.

And, yes, that's an army vehicle laying on its side. It was used to evacuate people, but was carried downstream and turned on its side.

Today my husband bought some high power pumps, and I went door to door in one of the hardest hit neighborhoods asking if they would like our help to pump water out of their basement. Each time it took only minutes to find someone who took me up on my offer. We helped two families. One had water at least four feet up their basement walls. Each pump shot out 150 gallons of water a minute and it took 2.5 hours to empty their basement. You do the math. {That's a lot of water.} You can see how high the water level reached from this photo of their garage...

I know I'm a little weird about this, but I found it fascinating how much water came out of the pumps...

Our son flew in from California just to help with the recovery efforts. He's such an amazing young man. I'm so grateful for his giving nature. We didn't make an impact on a lot of people as we worked, but we did make a huge impact on a few. So gratifying.

These families have a long way to go, but I was so struck by their indomitable spirit. It was inspiring the way these families -- so affected by this flood -- were moving along with determined attitudes and smiles on their faces.

Colorado Flood {continued}...

Yesterday was the hardest day yet for me. It rained all night on Saturday night and most of the day on Sunday. Buckets of rain. Evacuees from areas of Longmont that had seen so much flooding and had finally been let back into their homes on Friday and Saturday were asked to evacuate again as waters rose again to flood levels in their areas. In the early afternoon an area that surrounds a beautiful lake a couple blocks from our home was asked to evacuate. We were told that we weren't in the framework of those needing to leave, but to be ready at a moments notice. We threw some necessities in a suitcase and piled our 72 hour emergency kits and a emergency medical kit into the back of our car -- along with a couple cases of water. Then we made room for our kitty. I realized at that time that we didn't have any cat food in our 72 hour kit. She might not have liked the protein bars I had in there, but she would been fine with the canned tuna.

The evacuation of homes a couple of blocks away was rescinded about an hour later when upstream mitigation efforts diverted the water that was an imminent threat. By then we had hauled most of the furniture up from our basement to our main floor. I'm ok with that. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

It rained throughout the night, but isn't raining at the moment. Our yard looks like the Garden of Eden -- so lush and beautiful. It's hard to believe that something that can have such a positive effect, can also be deadly and destructive.

The rain is supposed to stop today. It's time to roll up our sleeves and go to work. I think I'm going to have to eat about 10 energy bars first and take a handful of vitamins.

My thanks to those who have taken a minute to comment on my posts the last couple of days. You have no idea how much your comments and kind words have meant to me.

Flood Clean-Up Underway...

Yesterday I showed some photos on my blog about the "500 Year Flood" in Colorado. I've never been in any type of clean-up effort for a natural disaster before today, so when we got a call around noon to help a member of our church whose home had flooded I went in the clothes I had on and put on my new tennis shoes. About two seconds after arriving, my feet looked like this...

I won't show you what I looked like when we finished the job. For the record my tennies are white, and I was wearing white low cut socks that you can hardly see when my shoes are on. I had gone to this house with the assumption we would be clearing water out of a basement, but we realized rather quickly the task was much larger than that...

These homes back up against a beautiful creek that turned into a muddy river that flooded this neighborhood. Homes had anywhere from a few inches to 8 feet of water and mud in their basements. We were asked to help remove the mud from a culdesac that is maintained by the neighborhood homeowners association. This culdesac is just off a street that is maintained by the city. When we arrived there was about a foot of mud in the culdesac and the driveways of the houses. We worked with shovels, snow shovels and push brooms to move that mud away from the houses, down the culdesac, and onto the city street where city trucks could come and remove it. It was a long culdesac...

Our task was made a little easier when four-wheelers with snow plows were brought in to help move the mud...

I've never seen mud that has the consistancy of velvety dipping chocolate until today. Amazing. By the time we left the culdesac was mostly clear of mud. As we worked I didn't imagine that we would ever see the pavement, but sure enough it was there...

There may be more photos like this as I help with cleanup efforts throughout our town. Most of the roads have been reopened in Longmont and the waters are receding. It's so odd to drive through areas that look perfectly normal and then go to areas that are devastated. So sad, but I'm thankful that many areas were spared. It'll feel good to work in the other areas and try to make a difference.

Flooding...

Things have been quiet on my blog this week. There's a good reason for that. We live in Boulder County in Colorado and our hometown has been experiencing scenes like this the last few days...

They are calling this the "500 Year Flood" because it is unprecedented. Neighborhoods in my hometown have been evacuated and are under water. A little town just west of us, Lyons, is totally surrounded by water. Fortunately, the Colorado National Guard was called in with trucks that could traverse the river of water and are evacuating people, but there are many further up the mountain that are stranded. Estes Park has a torrential river running through the main street of town. So incredibly sad. These are scenes from our hometown of Longmont...

Our town has been cut in half with the flooding of the St. Vrain river -- which typically is more like a creek. There have been no avenues open from the north end of town to the south end. A river is running through the town, as illustrated in the photo below.

Thousands are without power and water supplies to surrounding towns have been compromised and cut off. Below is a fire engine that was sent to rescue two stranded motorists that had bypassed a barricade at 1:30 a.m. In the process of rescuing the stranded persons, the water continued to rise and overcame the engine. Fortunately, the crew made it out safely as did the rescued parties, but there lies a firetruck that is desperately needed right now because two people acted impulsively.

 

{All above photographs courtesy: Times Call}

Our home is fine -- as is my husband's office. So far we've weathered the storm, but I feel so bad for those whose home or business has been flooded. I know there will be plenty of opportunity to serve my community in the next couple of weeks, so blogging is going to take a back seat. Here's a photo of a subdivision that is about two miles from our home...

 

{Source: Payton Peterson}

Please pray for those whose lives and property are in harms way and the rest of us that are just trying to tread water until the sun starts to shine and rain isn't in the forecast. Thank you.