the waters return

Just seven months after the the flood of 2004, the waters returned with a vengeance. This time the water level rose so high that the canal running through Yardley was breached, now forcing a new flow of destruction throughout the borough. Unlike the first flood, now my property and my immediate neighbors were suddenly victims,,, a total of 250 or so homes affected.

It is unnerving to say the least when you walk into 4 feet of water in your basement but I still considered myself to be one of the lucky ones, the folks who were originally hit just seven months ago were hit again, some losing their homes for the second time. I couldn't imagine the feelings they were going through, how this quaint river town had turned against them, leaving them to pick up the pieces twice in less than a year.

Again, the human spirit rose from the carnage. We all, as a neighborhood went to work for ourselves and for the ones we call friends. One neighbor rented a pump, the other purchased a generator, a purchase of a power washer and away we went. Lending ourselves to each other we created an unrelenting workforce going from home to home to ease the pain of the reality of our situation. Hard work never felt so rewarding, everyone doing their part to ensure we would get back to some sense of normalcy as soon as possible.

I remember the overhead shot in our local newspaper, the beautiful homes looking like tiny man made islands in the newly widened Delaware River. Shocking to see but it really gave you the true perspective of the power of mother nature. All of the local newspapers had their view but now the stories started to change. The big question on every one's mind was why. why was it that a hundred year flood zone was now hit twice in seven months?
Another big question was how can we stop this from happening? (http://www.buckslocalnews.com/articles/2005/06/09/pennington_post/top%20stories/14666520.txt) The local politicians vowed their undying support expressing our plight to the Federal Government and promised the we would be taken care of, insurance claims would be paid and they would begin to rebuild houses. The waters again receded and lives in our little town went on. Not the same as it was before the tragedy but time as they say, heals all wounds. Still inside we all worried about the next time and what that would be like.

DD