… and came… and came…
This past week has seen some of the most brutal rain that has ever fallen in Indiana. We have been on the national news and it is clear that we have had more water come from the heavens than ever – since records were kept starting in 1913. The White River, which crested early Saturday morning, was up to 24.7 feet – it’s normally about 4 feet. Thankfully, we were not impacted directly by the water, but we are close to the river. I think what saved us was the fact that our home is on higher ground and we live on a small local 15 acre lake that was the recipient of the waster that was flowing through the streets and low areas. We were incredibly blessed.
Three blocks north of us, and five blocks south of us, homes were flooding and roads were closed – impassable with water everywhere. I’m sure that we were divinely protected. What’s more is that all three of our children live within 10 minutes of us and all of their homes were spared as well.
It’s not like it rained for an afternoon. North of us, they were expecting 4” of rain and instead, they got more than 18.8” of rain in 24 hours. And that wasn’t the end of it. It kept raining! Several new roads have opened in the area after years of preparation and one of the roads near us was completely devastated by water. The bridge constructed over one of the creeks actually collapsed, taking the road with it. I’m sure that it will be a year or two before that route opens. Similar levels of destruction happened 15 minutes or so from our home near where two of our grandsons share an apartment. Their cars were safe and they were able to get out to shop through an emergency access road adjacent to their complex. They said the damage in the area was amazing.
I am guilty of not realizing the severity of the storms that we were experiencing. The wind wasn’t particularly brutal but the water kept coming. A living history museum near us completely flooded as it sits next to the White River and when the banks overflowed, there was nothing to keep the water in check. Oddly, Potter’s Bridge, a covered bridge more than 150 years old, was intact even though it was being pummeled by water raging in the river. It usually sits quite high over the White River but last week, water was barely able to make it under the antique structure. They sure built them to last back in the day.
What surprised me more than ever about the entire storm over a number of days was the fact that so many people wrote to us wanting to know our situation. At the time, it never occurred to me that we were making the national news and video from our area made things look pretty bad. It wasn’t an exaggeration – it was bad.
Friends from farther south in Indianapolis and even from as far away as Cincinnati and California contacted us to see how we were faring. The outpouring of love and concern was unexpected but deeply appreciated. So in the midst of such destruction, there were glimmers of light and joy when others reached out to us, concerned about our wellbeing.
People who were evacuated from their homes and neighborhoods were able to seek shelter at a local church. And a stable along the river, within a mile of us, had volunteers come by, rescue 40 horses and find local places for the animals to shelter in place until flooding recedes. There was more than 3’ of water in the stables. It’s so nice to see how people come together in times of crisis like we have had recently.
The rain set a record this week. In fact, it is being referred to as a 1,000 year flood. It so much reminds me of the flood experienced at the Greenbrier ten years ago. The devastation was incredible and I didn’t think it could happen here. After all, we don’t have the mountains that were so much a part of the reason that White Sulphur Springs, WV was virtually under water. Living in a valley with mountains having torrential downpours on both sides was more than the town could withstand. Things were similar here.
I can’t help but be reminded of the great Flood referenced in the book of Genesis. Up until that time, rain did not exist in the traditional sense. The Garden of Eden was watered from below the earth according to theologians and scientists who study things like that. When Noah was instructed to build the ark, and then his family was quarantined before the beginning of the rain, we can only imagine how everyone reacted when they saw rain for the first time. And then the fact that it didn’t stop for 40 days and nights. It is an awesome story and the capstone is the promise of God to never destroy the earth again with water.
That doesn’t mean that there can’t be massive quantities of rain, but at least we know that there will never be complete devastation. God reminds us, in Genesis 9:8-11, “Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
My encouragement is that we have a promise from God that things can get bad, but there will never be non-recoverable destruction. My prayer is that the people who have been impacted will find ways to reestablish their homes and belongings, with the help of God’s people in prayer and selfless service. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…