Oklahoma Resident Relates Flood Experience

Sure, we all know about floods. Some water gets in your home, everything at ground level gets wet, and probably some mud is left behind. Unfortunately, what most of us also " know " about flooding is that it happens to someone else. Don't hide behind these "safe" generalizations… because floods can be much more.

I was asleep -- a deep, sound sleep. Well, maybe not so sound because some noise kept tugging at me. Tiredness would push it away and I would fall back into sleep. But, time after time, the dreamlike interruptions came back. Was it real or imagined? I ignored it, I was tired.

Like an alarm clock you've tried to sleep through, the noise finally registered and I shot up in bed. It had been raining hard for hours and that noise was the sound of water, gurgling, like maybe the roof leaking. I jumped out of bed and, to my complete confusion, I was in cold, dark water. When I hit the light, it certainly wasn't a leak -- my house was over a foot high in water.

I yanked on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt as I yelled at the family -- evidently quite urgently as my wife, 15-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter were up as I went running for the garage to turn off the breakers (I heard this might save the appliances) and to get some boots on so I could gather up the valuables.

Across the wet house I ran. I pushed on the garage door and it was stuck. Thinking a broom or such was blocking it, I gave a stout shove. Urgency turned to panic -- I realized the problem was that the water was much higher outside than inside. That gurgling noise that woke me -- it was water finding its way inside.

I wheeled. I yelled at the family "out NOW." I grabbed my keys as I ran to the front door, barking instructions on the way… I don't really remember checking heads in the dark, but I do recall telling them to watch out because the door opened inward towards us. The wall of water jerked the door out of my hand, knocked my girl down, and swept away the pants my son was trying to pull on. Things were happening quickly as we left home without even time for shoes nor pants for my son. We had to go.

Well, yes we made it. …immediately the sadness overtook my wife and daughter. Pictures are all that remain of deceased fathers and grandfathers -- my father that the kids never got to meet. We can't take anymore pictures of our boy's first fish or our little girl's precious baby face. And what about all those video tapes of our children?

…I refuse to be sad - we got the four most important things out already. I told them there will be tough days ahead, plenty of heartache, work and certainly financial worries, but we will simply have to be up to it.

I will always remember the inside of my home some 10 hours later as I got my first look. Nothing was safe. Water nearly seven feet high inside my house violently scattered and battered everything. What wasn't broken or destroyed by water was eventually ruined by the thick mud or the mildew that set in… Fences, sheds, shop, pump house, and everything outside [was] gone.

A life's work, a family's needs, a father's anguish. I had flood insurance, but that doesn't pay for the fences, the pool, the pump house, etc. But worse, it does not cover buying a new lot and building, a new house, because common sense as well as floodplain management codes dictate not to rebuild in nature's path. Insurance pays for the cost of repair only.

And so, time to turn to programs that we have always figured were for other people -- and the communities and their officials that administer the various programs and support. My neighbors nor I are looking for handouts. I realize and caution others to recognize that no one did this to us - it isn't anyone's fault. And I must confess, it is with shame that I determine that this time it is my family who will need the help.

I promised myself I would not be bitter. I promised God I would remain thankful for my family's safety. I promised my family we would be " up to the Task." These three things I will do. But I will also hope for the others that will someday endure the work and loss and hardship of another Oklahoma flood - I will hope that their town, county and officials have taken ownership and are ready to help when they are needed.