In my last post, I showed a beautiful desert sunset-
a definite pro, living in gorgeous Dixie.
Sudden floods in this desert and red clay land are a definite con.
On September 11 (yes, really!), after torrential rains,
an earthen dam built in 1919 in Santa Clara, which is less than ten minutes away from us, broke.
Sixteen businesses and sixty-one homes were flooded.
They estimate 3.7 million dollars in damages.
They estimate 3.7 million dollars in damages.
The best pro of all in Dixie is the Volunteer Spirit!
On Saturday, Roger and I went to see how we could help.
Well over 2,000 others have done the same.
It was well-organized, and much was already done.
We were sent to a cul de sac, where we entered an open garage and visited with a wonderful woman.
She had had just two hours of sleep each night for the last three days.
This was her daughter's two-level home and it had been completely flooded out on the bottom level.
Erica (the daughter) and her two little kids evacuated before the water hit. Her two older kids were in school.
Her husband had rushed to the house from work, saw the water hit the lower level, then leaped up the stairs
and got out just in time.
They lost everything on the lower level.
Many in the flood lost everything they had.
We also met the dad (and grandpa), who was moving the mooshy mud around in what had been the backyard,
driving a small caterpillar.
And we met lovely Erica.
Each one in this family was so gracious and so grateful.
As a young girl, Erica had served a mission
and didn't have the heart
to throw away her damaged scriptures.
We are feeling so very blessed that our home is safe and dry
in this desert where Mother Nature can be unpredictable,
but the wonderful people are not!
That's so sad and crazy...and on 9/11?! What are the odds? I had no idea this happened. How wonderful you and Dad are for helping out. There really are so many wonderful people that live in Dixie.
ReplyDeleteSo sad to see the flood damage! Good for you and Roger helping out - you are part of that spirit of willingness to help others!
ReplyDeleteSad day . . .and more rain expected! I still have a hard time NOT praying for rain in our dry desert.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you had such flooding in St. George. It's crazy how quickly that water can rise. We are in a BIG drought in Idaho. We haven't had rain for months and the whole state is on fire. I wish you could send some of those raindrops this way.
ReplyDelete