A Day In The Life

The following happened to me in 2022. The rainstorms that have started coming through the area where I live cause major flooding every time it rains. It seems the downpours are so extreme the sewer systems can’t handle so much at once and major roads flood.

The forecast for a day in July of 2022 was rain and thunder showers on and off. The day seemed to go from crazy downpours with pelting rain in buckets to the sun shining five minutes later. I met a friend for coffee taking my umbrella along but didn’t need it. Mid afternoon I decided to go for a pedicure, my first since March 2020 when Covid hit. I went to the town that abuts mine, an eight minute drive just a few miles away. During the pedicure the rain began again, sheets of rain so thick you couldn’t see through them. Then it would stop, then it would start again. As I sat with my nails drying and the rain continuing, the street outside was becoming flooded, beginning to look like a river, as the rain continued to come down. I figured I better get out of Dodge while the getting was good. The lot I was parked in was beginning to flood, so I headed out and away from that flooded street to a main road. That road was quickly becoming inundated with water. I sped along with the water rushing beneath me, becoming more and more terrified that the water would overtake the car and damage it. I was able to pull into a parking lot that was not flooded and sat for about 10 minutes until the water from the street began seeping into the lot so I realized I needed to go.

Back to the street, speeding along once again until I hit a main road that I could pull over onto, that hadn’t flooded. Yet. A line formed behind me as other drivers thought the same. Until the water from the intersection ahead began flooding the roadway.

I followed the lead of another driver and pulled up onto the grass as the water was rising beneath our cars. There were about eight of us together there, watching cars attempting to get through the intersection, only the trucks passing being successful. I needed to turn right at that intersection to get to the highway, but when I walked down to the corner to see what was happening, many cars were submerged. So we sat as more rain came down about every 20 minutes not allowing the flood waters to recede. In times like this, when everyone is stuck in the same situation the goodness and friendliness in people come out. We commiserated together when we got out of cars during a break in the rain, asking one another where we were headed. The woman parked next to me had a baby and a four year old with her, making her situation even more challenging. You might be wondering if there was any police or fire department presence, there was none. So we stayed put. This adventure began at 3:00pm, and finally by 5:20 we could once again see the sidewalk and the yellow lines in the middle of the road. That corner intersection remained flooded, but we could go in the opposite direction where the cars were turning onto a street that appeared open. One of the men parked on the grass with me said “I think we’re ready to go, let’s do this family style and go together, follow me.” I laughed and said ok feeling a little less scared knowing he was leading the way. Sure enough the street ahead was free from water, and the road I needed to take home was completely clear. We waved goodbye as he headed in the opposite direction, and 10 minutes later I was pulling into my driveway. Quite an adventure.

This video was posted by someone on TikTok, showing the lot I had been parked in that fortunately I left!

Downpour