Record Flooding!

Last week, we were so grateful not to live in an area affected by hurricanes. This week, we live on an island! 1,100 miles away, we have felt the affects of Hurricane Ike! Over the week-end, it rained very steady for 3 days. As a result, the Illinois and Fox Rivers are flooded to record levels. The Illinois is expected to crest at about 1.5 feet above its 1982 record. There are two roads that lead to and our neighborhood. The flooding has closed one road and the other entrance is by a bridge. When it floods, we just hope that nothing happens to the bridge. So far so good. It was very sobering to see them add onto the dike.

The 5th & 6th grade school is expected to have about a foot of water. School has been closed for 2 days. They plan to have the 6th graders go to the junior high and the 5th graders will go to one of the three other elementary schools in town until they can get back into their school. The high school has been closed for 2 days so Kasey has been home, but the other kids have been in school.

Here are a some pictures of the area:

Monday afternoon, September 15

This is looking toward a parking lot that is across the street from the High School. They did a lot of sandbagging to protect the high school. Our house is about 8 blocks to the right of these pictures. Our house has been totally fine (well, 1 small leak and the usual water in the old basement, but no flooding! Hooray!).

Tuesday Morning, September 16