It may not be the end of the month...but I think the flood event of 2021 deserves a post of its own!
The last few days have been sunny...but he scenes of trumpeter swans sailing on calm blue waters are not a true reflection of what has happened here in the Fraser Valley this past week. The 'once-in-a-century storm'.
In 48 hours we received close to a foot of rain. They called it an 'atmospheric river' for good reason. Highways and railways were washed out. Mudslides covered roadways and buried vehicles...some lost their lives. I can't begin to describe the devastation but you have all seen the images on the news. I'll share a few pic's of the impact of the storm in my neighbourhood.
Ditches overflowed and our fields were mostly underwater. We brought in an extra pump to keep the water out of our basement /crawl space. And then we brought in a bigger pump....but not before we had a lake downstairs. Though we had more cold water than we knew what to do with...we had no hot water for several days. We have a new hot water tank now and are thankful!
Some homes in our neighbourhood had no access to their house other than by boat.
Some roads were closed...others were a little tricky to navigate.
Chilliwack schools closed for the week...but students kept themselves busy.
Water flowed from one field to the next...making it impossible to see where the lane ended and the ditch began.
Since highways in and out of our community were all closed...there was no way to bring in supplies. By mid-week the grocery store shelves were bare. Gas stations had long line-ups and most ran out of fuel. We now have a 30L limit per fill-up and are being asked to travel only for essential purposes.
Milk trucks could not get to Chilliwack to pick up milk on the dairy farms. After dumping milk all week, it was a big relief to have the tanker show up for the scheduled pick-up at the farm yesterday. The cow's grain has been rationed all week as well, since getting grain trucks to the farm was impossible.
Highway 7 on the north side of the Fraser River is is now open allowing for some movement of goods and services, as well as emergency access for medical reasons. There is also hope that one of the rail lines will be functional by mid-week. Highway 1 remains closed.
It was a hard week but we are counting our blessings. What we experienced personally was minimal, compared to our many friends and acquaintances that live nearby on the Sumas prairie...where the flooding Nooksack River roared in and created a lake. Farms are still under many feet of water...and poultry and cattle that could not be evacuated perished. It has been amazing to see how the community has reached out and worked tirelessly to help all those who have lost their homes and their livelihood. Those who had room took in evacuated cattle...some found crowded quarters here on our farm. People opened their homes to strangers. Others opened their wallets. This won't be over anytime soon! Our hearts go out to all those who have been hit hard.
It was good to be in church yesterday...to gather with a family of believers and realize that we are not alone. We are in this together.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. ~ God
Isaiah 43:2 The Message
It's been a devastating week for so many people. That's a great verse from Isaiah - He is always with us. We keep praying for those who have lost so much. Seeing the way people have pulled together during this crisis is encouraging. If only we could do so always. Your "lakefront" photos are beautiful, even though they show damage.
ReplyDeleteWaterfront property wasn't what any of you expected I'm sure. It's so sad to see and hear about the devastation of farms, property, and animals. There is so much we take for granted. Praying for some good decisions on how to move forward and restoration of the flow of goods and gasoline.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nightmare. I am so sorry for all the losses and hardships. I only knew about the Vancouver area troubles via Lorrie. Nothing on our news. You might as well be on a different planet. May things get back to some semblance of normal sooner rather than later. You probably can qualify for that old Maine expression: "You can't get there from here."
ReplyDeleteI appreciate seeing this through your eyes. Even though I see the water, I still find it hard to believe when life zooms in on the individual families who have lost so much and who have no idea where to go from here.
ReplyDeleteIt's all so unexpected and definetely not something we plan for. On the other hand, it is so good to see the compassion and helping hands everywhere.
Wow, didn't realize the waters got that high east of Chilliwack. We live in Agassiz, and felt the effects of the isolation to some degree, but on Tuesday last week, when we went to get my mother to a medical appointment, we saw very little of this water from the highway. Good to hear that you've all been able to come out of this safely.
ReplyDeleteI thought of you as I watched the story unfold on the news. Glad you weren't impacted more severely and that you were in a position to help others.
ReplyDeleteThe rain is falling in BC yet again, and our hearts break for all of you affected by this tragic event! We enter this blessed season of Advent waiting, watching, hoping and praying. All of this seems so poignant this year. Take care, Judy. There are many holding you and the MGCC women in prayer.
ReplyDeleteThank-you so much for your thoughts and prayers. Yes...we wait, watch, hope and pray!
DeleteOh, my sweet Judy! I had no idea. I seldom watch the news anymore or I would have been praying for you. Texas had our Arctic Freeze in February that our Amber is just now getting her home repairs finished up. It's those 100 year old events that devastate us. Prayers for you and all affected by these damaging rains.......
ReplyDeleteAll so unbelievable! Praying for restoration and hope for all!
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