Flood Disaster

by Anna Glendenning | More from this Blogger

11 Jul 2006 06:18 AM

It was February 11, 1978 and I was a Freshman in high school. My father and all the other father's in the area had spent 72 hours sand-bagging the homes and property at greatest risk. Everyone drained their backyard swimming pools. It had been a long, dry summer and the San Bernardino Mountains had gone up in fire the summer of 1977. When the heavy rains hit, it ran-off even more violently then usual. Living on the foothills our town was designed with mountain washes and roads made for heavy snow and water run off.

All the men on our street were gathered at Bill's house and we were enjoying the network movie when my brother's and I heard the waterfall start in our backyard. I will never forget the sight of my mother and the push-broom in hand as she shoved waves of water toward the pool and away from our house. She told us to go get our father.

I made it to the middle of the street and the flood water was up to my knees. If my mother had known how deep it really was she never would have wanted me to run across the street. By the time I reached Bills front door the pool in our backyard was filled and the water was coming into our house.

All the men in the neighborhood had done such a great job sand-bagging that our house was placed in the bull's eye. They all came over and started dragging some of our things out of the house, and to higher ground. By the time everyone grabbed something the water in the house was up to our knees and I watched my parents open all the windows.

Eventually, my aunt and uncle came to take us to their house, as we drove away the water was going in one side of our home and coming out the front windows. It was a shocking sight and very traumatic and it was a loss my family suffered which was NOT covered by a standard homeowner insurance policy. Homeowner policies do not cover losses caused by floods. Families who face a flood have only two options in dealing with losses that come from flood water. The first option is to hope the government declares it a disaster and funds are available for assistance, or the second option is to purchase flood insurance.

Related articles: Flood Insurance

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Learn more about Anna Glendenning

Anna Glendenning is a mother of four. Two biological children grown and out of college, and two siblings and adopted together in 2003. Anna's Personal Website http://www.adoptiveparentsnetwork.

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