Tuesday, May 26, 2015

B is for Breaking News


Memorial Day 2015.

Austin made the national news once again.

Another Memorial Day Flood

for Austin, Texas.



Area at 15th and Lamar ~ Photo Shared By A Neighbor


Heavy rains have fallen over Austin for more than a week,

but Saturday night and Monday afternoon

the rains were torrential, filling creeks and

rivers with fast moving water.




Shoal Creek Bridge At Park Entrance On Lamar


Shoal Creek runs through west Austin

down to the Colorado River, known as Lady Bird Lake,

where the river flows through downtown Austin.




Looking South Down Lamar ~ Photo by Jill Pewet-McCann


The rains started mid afternoon, but by

late afternoon they had moved out 

leaving flooded streets behind.





Austin rescue teams were posted at major bridges

ready to assist and rescue if needed.






By 8 PM water continued to

 roar down Shoal Creek.





But the bridge over the creek near

our neighborhood was back to normal.





Remember it had been completely covered

with roaring water just hours earlier.


  ~ SAVE YOURSELF ~ 

  TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN!  


Austin is in the heart of what is called

Flash Flood Alley.

Flash floods are considered the leading

natural disaster in Central Texas.





Photo of Missing Corpus Christi Families That Was Posted On The Web

The small village of Wimberley, TX, 

just a few miles south of Austin, was devastated

Saturday night when the Blanco River crested 

at over 40 feet, washing homes off their foundations.

My heart aches at the news of the loss, 

especially the missing families from Corpus Christi

who are long time friends of many of my own friends.

Continued prayers and hope that these families will be rescued.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

B is for Breaking News,

but A is for Appreciation,

and I'd like to once again thank

my blogging friends for all the recent emails

of concern for our safety here in Austin.

We are safe and fortunate to be high and dry.


Joining







Sarah
Sarah

The summer we married, my husband was in graduate school, and I was employed as a teacher. We took a portion of our savings that summer and purchased a sailboat. We christened our Catalina 22, “Hyacinths For The Soul” after Saadi’s poem. Our "Hyacinths" provided years of pleasure.

55 comments:

  1. Sarah,
    I am so glad to learn you are safe, out of the flooding. Thoughts and prayers for your friends who are missing...

    Judith

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  2. Sarah, thanks for keeping in touch. I have been seeing your weather on the Today Show.

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  3. This is so frightening and sad, Sarah. My niece lives in Austin and The McCombs (top L of your collage) gal is her sorority sister - she posted that family's photo on FB. The latest said the family's dog was found, alive and well in a tree, and that the husband was found 12 miles upriver, and is in ICU. Prayers for all those affected! My niece also posted footage of Barton Springs, a natural spring swimming hole they frequent, and what it looked like during these floods - so, so scary. No electric for my niece either. Praying for you all!
    Rita

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    Replies
    1. And that obviously should read 'down' river, not up, as to where they found the dog and husband.

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  4. I hope they are found!
    WE have been watching the news too..even here in QC..we heard about the flooding..

    Glad you are safe and sound Sarah..

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  5. So sad. It happens here too. I'm so sorry for the loss of life.

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  6. It's so sad, I cannot imagine it up close after seeing it on the news. Thoughts and prayers to the those families. I'm glad that you're safe. fondly ~lynne~

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  7. Oh, no! For a while now, I live in a bubble that includes very little TV (just History Channel, Food shows, and HGTV). This morning, I checked CNN and heard about Houston, but I had no idea that your area had been affected. So glad you are safe and dry! Will send up prayers. xxoo

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  8. The photos are just hard to believe...so much water !! We drove down Lamar last week when we were there for graduation. Will continue to pray of that family from Corpus Christi. So glad you are on high ground!

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  9. Your pictures are incredible, Sarah. My heart breaks for those in the path of such devastating storms. I am so sorry for the loss of so many lives. It is hard to believe that water can cause such chaos in the blink of an eye.
    Stay safe.

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  10. Oh Sarah, the flooding is just awful in Austin and here in Houston too! What horrific flooding in Wimberly, and oh my heavens, the news about the families in the Wimberly flooding is just heart wrenching! They are friends of my sweet cousin and they are all just devasted.We are expecting more, so many prayers are needed!

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  11. Glad you are okay! The footage is incredible. We have thoughts and prayers for all of you.

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  12. Sarah, I've been thinking of you and your community. My thoughts and prayers are with y'all. Thanks for this update.

    (((hugs))),
    Ricki Jill

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  13. I'm glad that you are safe, Sarah! I saw on the news the heartbreaking story of the families, and seeing their pictures just makes me so sad. It is just so tragic that water can bring some much devastation. My youngest DIL's mom was supposed to drive up from Houston over the weekend, but changed her plans, I'm sure because of torrential rains.
    Take care my friend. xo

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  14. So sorry this devastation has happened! I hope everyone is found, just terrible. Please take care, God bless!

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  15. Oh Sarah I am so happy you are safe and the flooding is over!! My prayers are with the families in the neighboring village...so sad I hope everyone is found!!

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  16. I am so glad you are safe. Such terrible storms and one right after another with barely a chance for the soil to absorb it all. My husband has a lot of family in Houston and they are all safe, but one niece has 5" of water in her house. My heart breaks for those who have family members who are missing or have lost their lives. Such a tragedy.

    Big Texas Hugs,
    Susan and Bentley

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  17. Wow…I can't believe all the rain and floods. Happy you are safe, and so sad for the families who have lost loved ones or homes. We have seen lots of pics on our news and its almost unbelievable ! Hoping the weather changes for the better

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  18. Dear Sarah - I am so glad you are safe and dry. What a horror a flood is. I hope your storage facility isn't affected by the water.
    I haven't been able to read or comment much but I thought of you these past few days - so grateful that you are relatively unscathed.

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  19. Thankful you are safe dear - we have been thinking of you after hearing the sad news from your area. We continue to think of those who are lost and, as always in circumstances such as this, question why. Life can be so sad - we pray for the lost souls and are certain that they are in a better place.
    Mary X

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  20. Sarah, thankful you are OK, so heartbreaking and tragic for so many, I hold them in my prayers.
    Vera

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  21. So very sad but so glad you are safe!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  22. Sarah, so glad that you and yours are safe. I am so sorry about the missing people and will say prayers for there recovery. He we are in So CA with a drought and could use some of that rain here. i can't believe the pictures - just terrible..
    Stay safe my friend.
    Mary

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  23. Bonjour,

    Je suis heureuse d'apprendre que tout va bien pour vous... mais triste pour ceux qui ont tout perdu.
    Je constate que dans le monde, de plus en plus, nous sommes victimes de grandes catastrophes naturelles.
    En France, lorsque j'étais plus jeune, nous n'avions pas de tels sinistres. A présent, nous aussi nous avons des inondations qui apparaissent, des tornades...
    Je vous souhaite beaucoup de courage et j'espère que vos amis vont tous bien.

    ❊ ♡ Gros bisous ♡ ❊

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  24. I am so glad you are safe and cannot get the photo of the mom and her kids out of my mind. How sad. I know you all needed the rain bad, but from the pics I have seen and you have shared it is too much too fast. xoxo

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  25. I didn't realize exactly where you lived and how close you were to all of this. So glad you and your home are all safe. I am watching the morning news and they just talked about this flooding and the missing woman and her two little children- so sad. It's shocking how quickly lives can be destroyed. Prayers for all.

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  26. The first think I thought about when I heard this news was you and all of the Dallas girls. I was so happy when I heard back from you and Susan and y'all were safe. Tragic for so many. Flash flooding is so dangerous. My heart goes out to all the families and I keep thinking about the mommy and her two young children, just so tragic.
    Austin has been on my mind a lot! Hugs dear friend................

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  27. You've been on my mind & in my heart & prayers, Sarah. I had no idea it was this close to you.
    My sympathies for all those who have lost loved ones...so sad.
    Hugs,
    Rett

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  28. Sarah, so happy to hear you are OK. I've been keeping in touch with my Houston family to make sure they are all safe. It's been very scary to watch the news. Heartbreaking for those families who lost loved one's.
    hugs & prayers,
    Linda

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  29. Sarah, I thought of you as soon as I heard the news of the flooding and horrible events in Texas. I am glad that you are okay but it must be terrifying and upsetting to know that others near you are still in danger. I will keep all in my prayers. Linda

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  30. Sarah, You were on my mind over the holiday weekend with the flooding. So glad you are safe and so tragic about the missing families. Mother Nature seems to be parceling out the weather in extremes. We were drenched in April and barely a drop of rain this month, things are crisping up. Last spring the jingle, 'turn around don't drown' was on every other commercial with all our rainfall.

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  31. Glad you are okay ~ great shots ~ sad story though ~ especially the missing people in Corpus Christi ~ Be safe, Be well ~ xo

    Happy weekend coming to you,
    artmusedog and carol

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  32. So sad here in Houston the last few days. It seems like every time I listen to the news another body has been recovered. The Clear Lake part of Houston wasn't hit so bad the last few days, but we had the heavy rain last week. A man was washed away and found not too far from here. Hard to believe there was a drought a few years ago.

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  33. Dearest Sarah,
    What a fate for so many people. We've lived through such flooding only once, the year when our German 'sons' arrived and we had to take the back roads to the airport as the Interstate was blocked because of flooding from the river. Unreal sights... So much damage to homes too.
    Wishing you well and pray for the families that are missing.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  34. Have been thinking of you constantly during this terrible disaster, so relieved to hear you are safe and no longer in danger.

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  35. Oh Gosh Sarah, this is terrible. I'm travelling at the moment so have been out of the loop of world news.
    Glad to hear you are ok and I hope there is good news soon for those with missing family.
    Thank you for sharing this on your blog.
    Wren x

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  36. I've been watching on the news-so sad about the woman and her children who were in the house and washed away. I can't even imagine the power behind the flash flood. Someone up here called it tsunami flooding. Major bridges in my area are about to close access to Texas...some in nearby OK are pretty bad also. I'm praying for everyone to be safe.

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  37. This flooding is awful.... so glad you are safe and sound! I'm in the

    This flooding is just awful... I'm so glad you're safe and sound! I'm in the DFW area and we have been pretty lucky (and it's sunny right now but the thunderstorms start toward the evening). It's so sad about the ones who are lost.... my heart goes out to their families.







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  38. That's so sad that you had so much flooding ! We are so helpless against nature !

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  39. Oh Sarah, I'm so relieved to hear that your home is on higher ground and that you are safe from the threat of flood. But boy. How tragic all this news is....my heart breaks for those missing people. My gosh I just pray the rain stops. On another topic I've been thinking about you and wondering how the sale of your home is going. I absolutely loved taking the tour of you home online. I didn't realize how huge and gorgeous your home was. You sound like you have a good attitude about leaving it and I can relate to the some of the emotions you might be having. Relocation is a busy time. But it is another adventure for you and your husband to experience together. I will be praying that your home sells quickly...keep me posted!
    hugs,
    Leslie

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  40. I will pray for your continued safety. It is quite heartbreaking, the whereabouts of the family. Such a sadness. Take care and thank you for sharing your photos with us today.

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  41. Thinking about you during this tragic time…so happy you are safe and well!

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  42. Hi Sarah,
    I am visiting from Michael Lee's Rattlebridge Farm today. We are located about an hour and a half southeast of Dallas. We have never had so much rain day after day, but certainly nothing like the beautiful hill country and south Texas. Thank you so much for such a moving post, all of you have been in our thoughts and prayers and many from our church have come to help. God Bless You!
    Miz Helen

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  43. thank you for sharing, its just heartbreaking about that family... i am happy you were safe this time.

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  44. What a great post. Thank you for sharing. We're in DFW. We aren't getting the flooding like ya'll. Our prayers are with you.

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  45. Sarah, I have been watching this on the news and it is heart breaking! I keep hoping they will find the missing alive, but I know that the chances are slim. So glad that you are alright!!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  46. I'm glad that you came out of it okay. Best wishes to you.
    The View from the Top of the Ladder

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  47. Oh, my goodness! I didn't realize this is where you are. I hope that everything is okay and that it doesn't affect your house plans.

    I hear that there is supposed to be more rain on the way.

    Stay safe!

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  48. Dear Sarah,
    I'm so glad you are okay! Tom and I were in Maine, and we just returned to DC. I have been out of touch, and only heard about the devastating floods recently. Praying for all there.
    Stay safe and dry.
    L

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  49. Your pictures are absolutely frightening. Our hearts go out to all of those who have suffered losses.
    Karee

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  50. Oh so sad to hear about this! I know, my sister in San Antonio sent pictures! Just scary. Mother Nature can be a wicked girl! Our hearts and prayers are with everyone there!

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  51. Stunning and scary photos, more vivid than any newscast !The destructive power of nature is awesome and sometimes so tragic! We have friends in Texas who thankfully are safe and well in spite of the terrible floods. People are so resilient and amazing when they help each other and work together in a disaster ...God bless them all !!!

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  52. Such a catastrophe. Our step-son and his girlfriend moved from Austin about 10 months ago and so many of these places are places we explored when we visited them.

    It is such a tragedy.

    So many beautiful souls coming forward to lend a hand.

    I didn't realize you lived in Austin.

    I'm glad you are all safe.

    Hugs and blessings and

    A+

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  53. The weather seems to be in the prayers of so many of us. So many lives have been taken and homes destroyed by the wrath of weather. It is definitely something beyond our control, but thankfully scientists offer so much improved predictions than one those that came before us had to survive.

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Thank you to each of you who take the time to leave a comment. I read and appreciate each and every one and will respond to any questions. Your notes are the only way I know who has stopped in for a visit.