We live on the St. Joe River. Usually it’s a benign presence about thirty feet from our back door. But in the last couple days it’s become a threat, if not to life as we know it then at least to everything we have stored in our lower level.
A foot of snow that melted almost overnight followed by torrential rain caused this situation. The river is overflowing its bank and seeking places to flood. It starts with seeking the lowest level of land, filling that up, and then climbing higher.
Fortunately, our house is built on the highest point of our property, while the side lot to the east is the lowest point. This means it’s currently flooded as the river overflows its bank and seeks equilibrium. This morning about a foot of our east lot was flooded; this evening, it’s entirely under water. It’s pretty scary, because when the lowest points are filled the river rises to the next higher points. That would be our flower beds around the house. After that, it’s the house itself.
The last flood that inundated this area was in 1983. We didn’t live here then, but we’ve learned that you needed a rowboat to get around. I have three kayaks hung on the garage ceiling, but I certainly hope I don’t have to use a single one. Cross your fingers!
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