Floods!!!!

Where to start?  My city has been under a state of emergency for 3 days now due to MAJOR flooding. As I am discovering everyone needs to talk, debrief and tell their story, including me.  So here goes.

Some flooding and high rivers at this time of year are normal, but this is the worst in anyone's memory.  8 years ago the floods were bad.  This is 3 times worse.  75,000 people in 25 neighbourhoods were evacuated.  Most of downtown is currently still without power as it is flooded.  My parents ended up leaving their house for a day and a half because they didn't have power.  They are home now, and while the river is very high behind their house, they don't seem to be at any flooding risk.  Thankfully, my sister was easily able to accommodate them.  The low-lying parts of my neighbourhood have also been evacuated.  Some people are being allowed back tonight, but there is a part that is pretty much a part of the river now.  It will be awhile before that gets better.  Thankfully, I live at the top of the hill.

Thursday night was an anxious time for me.  There were reports my whole neighbourhood was to evacuate, but I couldn't find anything official.  Same goes for my parents.  None of us knew whether to stay or go.  And, as it all crises accurate information is hard to find.  The City's website crashed, but it is fixed now.

Yesterday I went for a walk around my area and also got a look at the river from the top of a hill.  It is unbelievable.  One of our downtown parks is now part of the river.  Neighbourhoods look like Venice, not the semi-arid climate we live in.

People, however, have been amazing.  About 1,500 people had to take advantage of the emergency accommodation.  Most others were/are housed with family and friends.  Our mayor and emergency workers have been going non-stop.  My brother-in-law works for the local power company and he has been pulling a lot of overtime also.  Strangers have been offering their places to those evacuated.  Any requests for help have been met and overwhelmed.

So, after all this, how am I doing?  Good, bad and everything in between.  I am grateful to be safe and that my place is fine. I am grateful that the same can be said for my family.  I had a lot of anxiety Thursday for sure.  Even yesterday I found the whole thing overwhelming.  And my neighbourhood is so eerie.  Most of the roads around us are closed, no buses are running, no trains are running.  The energy is totally different.  Yesterday I couldn't get enough of facebook and twitter, and yet I knew that the more I saw, the harder it was getting on me.

Today, I am getting used to the "new" situation.  I am able to be calmer.  I went to a movie with a friend (on my bike as we have been asked to keep roads clear for emergencies).  I am finding my sense of humour again and not so overwhelmed, especially since the real tragedy going on is not mine. I know I take on a lot of emotion from other people and have been doing that for sure.  But, I am also getting so much better at knowing when I am doing that and finding ways to only keep my own emotions.  Still not perfect at it and I am sure I am carrying around the sorrow and anxiety of a city in crisis still.  (The police helicopter just flew over my place, reminding me again that this is far from over).

It probably also helps that things are looking up, at least in some areas.  I can remember that this situation is temporary.  There is loss, there will be clean up to do.  There will be assistance needing and none of us will forget this.  But, we will move on.  The thing is, it feels good to tell my story.  Yes, there are people far worse off than I am, but as I has learned, comparisons don't help.  I still feel anxiety, I still feel sorrow, I still feel sad, I still feel proud of the reaction of so many people, I still feel grateful for so many things - including that the evacuations have achieved their intended purpose of keeping people safe.

I feel really, a bit all over the map.  But, this is a crisis situation and I have no doubt that it is normal to feel how I feel.

If you haven't had a chance to share your story, I am happy to listen, or post in the comments section, or whatever you need.