Today I drove through a region that, just 14 months ago, was
ravaged by horrific floods. Much
rebuilding has been done but the town, especially the center of the village,
will never be the same. Many small
businesses lost, many homes condemned, historic places now damaged
beyond repair.
Yet around us the seasons keep changing. Time goes on.
Today was a lovely fall day. The
sun was shining in a partly cloudy sky and the trees were bright with color –
shades of green turning to yellow, orange, and even some red. The creek that flooded so incredibly on that
day was down to a mild flow after a very dry summer.
As I drove through the center of town I turned onto a rode I was
unfamiliar with, following it through another neighborhood. I came to a narrow, one-way bridge and marveled
again that this small creek could have wreaked such havoc on the
community. But, as we all know, it’s not
just one creek. It is many factors. In this case, a dam burst farther
upstream causing the creek to overflow profoundly, creating an historic '500 year flood' with incredible amounts of damage to this particular valley.
As I passed over the bridge I saw a blue & white sign by
the road that said “Flood Evacuation Route.”
Never having lived in a flood zone, this sign was new to me. As I continued on the road I quickly realized
why this particular way was the evacuation route. The road quickly became very steep as it
wound up the mountainside.
With the weather being as beautiful as it was today, my
first thought was, “I can’t wait to get to the top so I can see the view of the
valley and all the foliage!” Then I saw
another “Flood Evacuation Route” sign and I started thinking about the families
that had made this trek fourteen months earlier with everything they could grab
from their homes before the flood waters got too high, leaving them without a way of escape.
They didn't have much time.
Those flood waters came FAST. Dams
don’t break slowly so you can have time to pack up your things.
Today was a day of very mixed feelings. I did enjoy the drive back down the
mountain. It is a truly beautiful
valley. And I know many people that live
there. They have worked hard this past
fourteen months to rebuild their homes and their community and they do not want
our pity. They have lost much, but many
of them have gained incredibly deep perspective and even deeper appreciation for life and loved ones.
And that is what I end with today. In life, floods come. Disaster comes. Sometimes we see it coming and can prepare,
but most often it blindsides us. We can
let it destroy us, or we can come back stronger. Coming back stronger doesn't mean you don’t
cry, don’t feel pain, or take time to mourn your loss. We are
human after all, and those are necessary parts of healing. But afterwards, we know we can make it
through.
Because we already have.
