Flood 2010

Owatonna experience almost 9 inches of rain in a very short amount of time over this past week. Obviously the two major rivers that run through our town had a hard time handling that and we ended up with devastation for a large part of our small community.

 

This is our power plant. It sits on a river. It’s completely unusable. Unbeknownst to me, this is where we get our secondary power, so we never lost electricity.

 

This bridge is supposed to hold foot traffic.

 

 

I did not take these pictures. In fact, I hate even looking at them. Mike Connor, a high school classmate and professional photographer, posted these on his Facebook page.

 

I don’t know what is wrong with me. I can’t stomach looking at them. It exhausts me to look at them. It makes me feel guilty looking at them.

 

There was no school yesterday and staff didn’t have to report. I spent all day catching up around home, making lesson plans, updating my grade book, updating my website for school, creating smart board lessons…….and felt guilty the whole time. I felt guilty that we don’t have water, guilty that I had all my stuff intact, guilty that I can’t do more to help. I had one friend that got some water and they caught it super early so they saved most of their stuff. I am going to call her today to see if there is anything I can help her with. Otherwise, I don’t really know anyone personally that was affected.

 

We ran to grab some supper when Mike got home from work last night. I hated even driving in the town. I knew they had asked people to not drive around if it wasn’t necessary and I hated it. Mike drove right through where that first picture was taken and I was cringing and uncomfortable the whole time. I just wanted out of there. I put the visor of the car down and looked the other direction. I know there are all kinds of people out taking pictures, documenting history, why does this make me so uncomfortable?!?

 

  Today I have to run to Wal-mart. I even feel guilty going and doing mundane tasks like that when I know others are NOT having a leisurely weekend, they are not catching up on work and household chores like I can, and they are not sending their oldest off to enjoy his birthday in the cities like I will get to do.

 

  It still feels like it’s happening somewhere else. When you look around the side of town I live on, you would never even know it’s happening. Then I watch the news and see people I know or see a business I frequent and it’s completely under water and ruined.

 

Hoping for no rain today (2/10 of an inch forecasted). It’s just gotta stop.

 

Peace out,

LB