Rain Boots Are For Rain

 Today, I'm so thankful for rain boots! Because.....rain boots are for RAIN!

Y'all!!

It's raining again. 

It rained all weekend, it rained all day yesterday and it's supposed to rain tomorrow and maybe more. That means one thing.....FLOODS. Well, the good news is that it's not supposed to be as bad as before. But can you imagine the fear in these folk's minds that just went through the 1000 year flood? 

They are releasing water from the dam again. And it's moving fast. 

 Of course, it's hard to see how fast the water is moving, 

but you can tell, somewhat, by the ripples around the dock.

Mother Nature is on a roll.  Yesterday, she called me Dude! Today, she called me a Whiner.

Whatev!

At least, I'm thankful. Thankful for my rain boots.

Meanwhile, back at the Lake......

It's raining, again! 

Sawyer fell in the lake.

Lidia just about laughed her head off at him.

He had to strip his clothes off in the garage.

Later, he stepped in an ant bed and had to strip his clothes off again...this time in the kitchen.

We had potato soup for dinner.

I nearly cut off my finger slicing the potatoes for the potato soup.

Whitney likes to give me a heart attack...she thinks she wants to become a pilot and work for Swiss Air.

Excuse me while I go take an aspirin and nitroglycerin pill.

***************

On a serious note.....IT IS RAINING, again! 

I don't know how much more my hometown of Andrews can take.

There is so much devastation.

Please continue to remember them in your prayers. 

Even in the wake of such devastation, it is very heartwarming to see how people of our town, state and neighboring states have come to help, however they can. 

Helicopters flying nurses with medical supplies into areas inaccessible by car. 

Donations of clothing, food, toiletry items, baby diapers, bottled water and all sorts of necessary items are being collected and distributed all over South Carolina.

Neighbor helping neighbor!

Did you hear what LSU did for the Carolina Gamecocks?

LSU was supposed to play the Gamecocks in Columbia this weekend. 

But, due to the catastrophic floods in Columbia last week, LSU welcomed the Carolina Gamecocks to play on their field, instead. It was such short notice, but that didn't stop LSU's band from learning USC's fight song to play for the Gamecocks and for the warm welcome the Gamecocks received from the good folks of Louisiana. 

And to top it off, LSU is donating the profit from their ticket sales to help the people in South Carolina.

Doesn't that give you goosebumps?

Laurie

Update: Historical 1000 Year Flood of SC

This is the dam at Lake Greenwood. If you look just above it and to the left,
you can see our lake home. We are on high ground and our property is safe.
This picture was taken Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015.

This is Sawyer, Cliff and Lidia looking on as 4 gates are open to release water from the swollen lake. And you can see the water spilling over the sides of the Saluda River.

I took this picture of the dam, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015. You can see that 2 of the gates have been closed and the water level in the river has receded some.

This is being called a Historical 1000 Year Flood event in South Carolina.

At the time of this post, we are still flooded in South Carolina. The water is down in some areas and still causing problems in others. I woke up to news that there has been another evacuation ordered in Columbia because of a possible dam breach. The rivers downstream are still rising.

At the time of this post, there are nearly 300 roads and 166 bridges closed. There have been 18 dams breached. We are urged to stay off the roads. Rescue workers are still helping survivors and working to recover victims. To date there has been 16 deaths attributed to this historical flood event. There are people that have lost everything.

Cliff and I are still at the lake because our way home is through Columbia, the city that Interstate 26 runs through. Columbia has so many road closures, it would be difficult to find a way through. I-26 has had portions of it closed due to flooding and compromised bridges. Hwy 378, Garners Ferry Road, also our route home, was devastated.

I see the news reports and the pictures and videos, but since I can't see it with my own eyes, it doesn't feel real. I want to get home so badly. I want to see what is going on in my own community.

The pictures I'm posting below are not my own. They are pictures I've copied from Facebook or News Sites. I feel like it's important for us to remember such a historical water event....to remember the power of water and mother nature. Not only to remember this devastating event, but to remember God's grace and mercy. It could have been so much worse.

I leave you now with the pictures from around of state of South Carolina: 

 This is Lakewood. Our beach home is here...about 5 streets over. 

Again, our home is on higher ground and we are okay.

 This is Front St., Georgetown. I ran my first 5K and my first half-marathon on this very street. You can see the town clock near the upper right-hand side of the photo.

 

Columbia, SC

I believe this is from Charleston, SC. A few coffins have been rising up out of the ground.

I can't tell if this is I-26 or parts of Hwy 378, but you can see standing water causing road closures.

 Not only are roads washed out and flooded, but trees have fallen across roads.

 

 Railroads have been affected.

 Columbia.

So many people have been affected. It's not over yet. I just heard from my sister in Andrews, our home town, that the river is still rising and friends are being evacuated by boat. The area across the river is cut off from town and people are running out of food. 

Once again, please pray for SC.

Thank you!

Laurie