A Flood Comes Creeping

Due to an 11 inch rainfall 2 hours north near Indianapolis on last Friday evening, we have been experiencing record breaking ( the worst in memory was 1913 ) flooding all around our town. By Tuesday afternoon of the 5 highways out of town, only 2 remained open. The river got within 3 inches of reaching the city's water system Wednesday which would have resulted in the issuance of a Boil Order...At one point the water was rising two and one half feet in 15 minutes. My sister and I drove out west of town toward the river and stopped on this road which is flat but as we watched, within 8 minutes..these water 'fingers' had approached and then passed by the van traveling about 3 car lengths while we were there. Very disturbing to see. The two neighboring towns north of us had about 2000 people evacuated because of their close proximity to the levee, which was finally breached in several places. Yesterday, here in Washington, for the first time in anyone's memory, the authorities were asking all the residents living between the river and the railroad tracks to evacuate just as a precaution in the event the same thing would happen here. All's well now, thank goodness, two sunny days and it began finally to recede.
I live in west Washington, 2 miles from the tracks and this was as close as I ever want to come.


Posted by Julie M. Dant on Sun, 06/15/08 01:46
[ Back to Index | Home | Previous Image | Next Image ]


Comments by Julie M. Dant on Sun, 06/15/08 01:57

This is not a river...flood waters in a field.


Comments by Rory Hudson on Sun, 06/15/08 02:09

Stunning and dramatic image Julie. Glad you're OK!


Comments by Julie M. Dant on Sun, 06/15/08 02:41


Comments by Dennis Hancock on Sun, 06/15/08 03:56

Very worrying times Julie as we have experienced here in the UK. I took a picture standing on a bridge of a bautiful summer river scene.
Following day I would not have been able to get on the bridge. These are two very good shots. I like the second as it's familiar to what we have seen here.


Comments by Luka Ban on Sun, 06/15/08 04:34

That flood is a great opportunity, isn`t it Julie. Only photogs like bad weather...don`t they.


Comments by John Long on Sun, 06/15/08 04:38

You are posting some stunning images Julie - and the OP is one such picture. The sunlight catching the water as it creeps toward you and the rays in the sky all add to a great picture - yet of a tragic situation.
Hope all continues well for you personally.


Comments by Steve Owen on Sun, 06/15/08 07:45

John said it well! Wonderful images. Are you close to Salem, IN?


Comments by Jan Bjorklund on Sun, 06/15/08 08:58

Your images capture the sense of the flooding that many people in the Midwest of the USA are experiencing currently. Those fingers of water seem like nothing until you try to stop their advance and then they are revealed as the fingers of a giant with overwhelming power. In 1997 the small town south of Winnipeg where I used to work had to be evacuated because the whole southern section of Manitoba was flooded right to the southern door of Winnipeg and created the Manitoba sea similar to the view in the second picture in the comments. If it had not been for our floodway Winnipeg would have gone under as was the case with cities such as Grand Forks, North Dakota (we were within inches of having the infamous 500 year flood). The previous year our other location north of Winnipeg had to be evacuated because of flooding along the Red River. A catastrophe I really fear in my city and one that someone in our past had the vision to plan for.


Comments by Maria Salvador on Sun, 06/15/08 09:06

First of all I'm glad that you are safe, and sorry for the dramatic situations I have seen on TV, caused by all those floods. That aside, loved these photos. The OP is terrific, with the incoming waters trying to trap the photographer - and the viewer! Stunning, striking and a lot more adjectives that I don't know the translation. The two in comments are also very good, imho, well done and very expressive.


Comments by Kim Adams on Sun, 06/15/08 09:39

I'm glad you are ok. The pictures are beautiful.


Comments by J.I. Rogers on Sun, 06/15/08 11:05

I agree with Maria's comments word for word. Especially regarding the OP. Seems like an innocent enough photo until you think about it for a moment, then it becomes ominous and sinister. Very well done under trying times but please stay safe.


Comments by Jeff Dye on Sun, 06/15/08 13:10

I was just reading about Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is this morning's LA Times. I really like the OP. It's great composition. There's an innocent, no-big-deal look about it. It's beautiful with the silvery tones on the water. But for those that live there it's a malevolent beginning.


Comments by Linda Frey on Sun, 06/15/08 19:22

Good job on the photos, Julie. Hope the water recedes soon.


Comments by G.B. SHETTLER on Sun, 06/15/08 22:18

The OP is great photo and comp, Julie. The shimmery water in the central location with that great sky, really works. Now that you got the photo maybe the nice water will just go away. Here's hoping


Comments by Bruce Hunter on Mon, 06/16/08 01:27

Amazing photos, Julie......chilling and beautiful at the same time.
Hoping the worst is over, now.


Comments by Bryan Palmer on Mon, 06/16/08 20:36

interesting to see these pictures. Also interesting how it can flood there and just north of you here in Elkhart, we've only had some rain but not nearly as bad. my brother in law lives in greenwood but apparently he was ok. Glad to hear it's starting to recede!


Comments by Art Sands on Tue, 06/17/08 21:07

great shots with an ominous feeling - good luck


Comments by Dave Geyer on Tue, 06/17/08 21:32

I think these are very well done. They are interesting, even beautiful, yet capture the drama of what is going on out there. When the 7 people were killed by a tornado which flattened Parkersburg, Iowa, I was in a motel 70 miles from there. I can attest that the weather in the Midwest has been very destructive lately!