The last 24 hours have been...mostly boring, really.
The water crested a scant 3 cm from coming inside. I was waiting for the rescue boat when I noticed that the water level had dropped 3 cm over a 10 minute span. Still, there was a mandatory evacuation order, so I had to leave. During the boat ride, I watched the water flow reverse direction. I met up with my wife and dog, and we were bussed to a nearby middle school to spend the night in a gymnasium.
The American Red Cross volunteers were extremely friendly, helpful, and eager to feed you. I lost count of the number of times people came by with pizza, chips, granola bars, and especially water. If I had taken half of them up on their offers, I'd be in the hospital. Too bad sex doesn't come that easily (at least for me!).
The night was long and mostly sleepless. I don't think people have control of their kids anymore. If I had made noise after 10 PM in front of other adults at those ages, my parents would have given me a hiding I might still remember. No parenting skills these days.
We waited around all day waiting for news of when we could return home. The time was spent lounging, cracking jokes and watching other people. Finally we were told that if we didn't have relatives or friends to stay with in other counties, we should stay in the shelter rather than go home. Too dangerous with electrocution hazards and possible gas leaks out there.
Many went home.
We called my mom and stepdad, and they helped us get back to the house, get things we needed, and drive to their house for a few days. Our van is a mess, still drivable but with lots of mud and crap inside.