Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Water, water, everywhere - not a drop to spare

One can hope that maybe it's Noah's Ark, but in truth, this is someone's house taken away by the Cowlitz River. There are so many stories in the news, in the paper - flood warnings on 19 rivers, rivers cresting, community evacuations, levee breaks, shelter openings, road closures, school closures . . . so many photos of the damage and water filling streets and houses and cutting off towns with no roads in or out, but none that make the point so boldly as this particular photo.

Seattle . . called the Emerald City in the Evergreen State - I wonder what makes the plants so green?

Truths of the day:

~ during flooding, a river can carve a brand new route for itself - actually reroute itself - right through a neighborhood full of homes.
~ the rain is decreasing (actually it just went south to Oregon), but the rivers here are still rising and another weather front is expected later this week

I'm sitting here in fascination with the raw power of water. It's really amazing what it can do - just water - a couple of molecules thrown together. I'm always so fascinated by it - in awe of it's beauty and strength and the changes each new tide brings. I've never lived in fear of it and seen close-up how much energy lives within it.

"Till taught by pain, men know not water's worth"
-Lord Byron

10 comments:

Legs and Wings said...

Hard not to respect for the raw power of nature. I am continually amazed at the power of water here on this coast...tides, hurricanes, snowstorms - usually driven by fierce wind.

You guys are having a real battle out there. Take care.

JustRun said...

Extreme weather is always so amazing, until it's at your front door. Then, it's just scary. Hope you and yours stay safe!

Triseverance said...

Yes nature is a powerful force.

I toatally agree with the water comment. When I lived in Colorado one of my favorite places to go was Estes Park. In that park there is a huge alluvial fan. The size of the boulders in that thing blow me away.

http://www.rmnp.com/RMNP-Areas-HorseshoePark-AlluvialFan.html

Anne said...

That photo sent shivers down my spine. I lived through one of those floods that took a lot of homes and lives. Stay dry.

Toasty said...

Well that's where all our water went ... we are in a 100 year drought. Level 4 restrictions, washing with buckets and brown dry gardens. Using a hose at anytime is illegal.

Anonymous said...

Wow. That is almost beyond belief. Head for the highlands and stay safe.

Nice quote ;)

Sarah said...

I hope this isn't just the beginning for this winter!

Anonymous said...

It has been raining (hard!) for about 10 days straight here in Vancouver.

Stephanie said...

unbelievable!

D said...

Wow - that photo says everything. I hope you are not dealing with any damage.