Heads UP, Findlay ~ the Creek's rising!!

[Randi]

I hope you're all safe in the Findlay area! It sounds like quite a flood!

Phred, we need an update from you too. Hope all is safe!

[4 Dog Mother]

I just talked to my boss and she said we had 4 ft. of yes, you guessed it - sewer water again - although it is not as bad this time - I guess she means that it doesn't stink as bad. The furnace is gone again - brand new just put in before Christmas. Nothing else had been replaced - well - 2 refrigerators but they had moved them before the flooding began. The compressor for the organ is down there too but they put it up on a shelf like 5 feet off the floor so it should be okay too. So many places had gone ahead and remodeled and now they will have to do it again. How heartbreaking! I am not just talking churches and businesses but homes too. Most people can't afford to just abandon their homes and start new and who would buy their homes if they would try to sell.

Please pray for Findlay and the people in other hard hit areas in Ohio and of course, for all those who suffered from the tornadoes the other day!

[Cinder & Smoke]

Phred, we need an update from you too. Hope all is safe!

We'z just *phine* - all High & Damp here at the Ranch!

We'd prolly stay dry even if the Berlin Dam broke ...
we might be surrounded with a big moat - but the house sits high enough
that we ought to stay reasonably dry.

It sure IS "damp" outside, though ... Bip & Bop need the Paw Towel whenever
they return from an outie.

Pittsburgh looks like their Rivers are going to crest at about 24 feet -
"only" 7 feet above normal levels. Shouldn't be many structures damaged.

Findlay has been hit pretty hard - the Blanchard River has crested at about
16.5 feet - 2 feet short of last summer's record of 18.5 feet -
but still high enough to cause a LOT of damage.

Click on the local Newspaper for excellent flood coverage >>>
http://www.thecourier.com/

Their Lead Stories:
Blanchard River on its way down
At 4 p.m. Thursday, the Blanchard River was measured at 15.74 feet by the National Weather Service, after reaching a crest of 16.5 feet around 3:15 a.m. Thursday. This measurement is still above a major flood stage (13 feet) and is predicted to drop below flood stage (11 feet) by 1 p.m. Friday.

NEW: Boil advisory issued

A boil advisory has officially been issued for the city of Findlay by Service Director Bruce Hardy until further notice. The advisory was initiated at 1:45 p.m. Thursday.

Residents of Findlay are advised not to drink the water, without boiling it first. To make the water safe for drinking, bring it to a boil and let it boil for one minute, and then let it cool before using. Bottled water is also a good alternative.

Only safe, potable water should be used for drinking, making ice, washing dishes and brushing teeth.

Findlay's water is showing a high "turbidity" level, or cloudiness. Turbidity levels are used to monitor how effectively water is being filtered. The more cloudy the drinking water, the more likely that it may contain disease-causing organism.

These organisms can include bacteria, viruses and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches. People with severely compromised immune systems, infants and some elderly people may be at increased risk. People who develop any of these symptoms may consider contacting a doctor.

Hope Carrie's Kitchen Shop is OK!

[cyber-sibes]

i finally heard back from my friends who lost their house in the last flood - she said they have flooding, but thankfully were able to contain it to the crawl space so it didn't flood inside the house. Their garage, of course, got flooded again. She said it's solid water from their porch to the house across the street, and joked about it being ocean-front property. Guess a good sense of humor will help them get through this! (Last time they had to have the house striped down to the 2x4's and rebuild all over from the floors up, including new drywall. They only got moved back in about 7-8 weeks ago. )
As Diana pointed out, this has been a disaster for some homeowners. The housing market is bad enough all ready, but the floods brought everything to a stop in Findlay. You can't live in a ruined house, but you can't sell flooded property so you can move, either.