And the rains came down and the floods went up

...and the Dixons didn't get washed away.

When we were considering this house almost a year ago now, I remember checking the paperwork to see if it was in the flood plain. It wasn't. I mentioned it to Seth and quickly continued to peruse the paperwork.

Now that we are recovering from a 500 year flood (yup, none of this weak 100 year flood business for us), I realized just how important that little box checked "no" was. And I'm grateful for how relatively easy this emergency has been for us because that was something we paid attention to. But we were still woefully unprepared for an emergency.

Two days ago, when the rivers swelled beyond their banks we woke up with no power. I rummaged around for a flashlight and couldn't find one that fit the batteries we had available. I blame the kids. As the situation around us began to escalate I knew we were safe, but I had an unsettled feeling. Maybe because our church has been counseling us since before I was born to have some cash on hand and have some food storage tucked away-just in case.

Many circumstances are beyond our control, but I know I would've felt better if I'd been as prepared as I know I should be. It's taken a 500 year flood, but I finally realize how important this advice is.

Here is a link showing flooding that is all within a few miles of my house: