So last Sunday I woke up around 8am to get final touches cleaned and ready for my future father in laws arrival at 10:30am. Curt needed me to swing by the Saint Charles store to pick up chicken and drop of anchovies…as I’m getting ready in the apartment there is a fantastic thunder-storm going on. I have the weather channel on, enjoying the doppler and thunder. Suddenly there is a tornado indicated on the ground in Orleans parish and I am embarrassed to realize not only do I not really now what a parish is…I have no idea what parish I’m in!
Thankfully no tornado hit our home. At the same time however flash flood warning are issued for my area. Over 2 inches of rain fell in just over an hour. Now having lived in South Florida, massive amounts of rainfall in short time frames is not unusual, and neither are flood warnings…so I think maybe some big puddles all will be fine, I run to my car and begin my way to St Charles Street.
Then it all goes to shit. Not more than three blocks from my apartment the water had flooded the streets and was to the bottom of door frames of home. Water was up to the door handles in cars on the side of the road! Never in my life have I seen flooding like this. I did my best to stay on high ground, but then I get to St. Charles Street and the water is easily four feet deep. The Honda cannot drive in water four feet deep. Not only that but cops have blocked my side of the road due to a crime (most likely a shooting) so I’m doing my best to navigate side streets. The roads in NOLA are bumpy and uneven, and so there are higher parts- not necessarily in your lane but it’s the highest part, and soon I learn the “Unspoken High Ground Code”- when traveling on flooded streets New Orleaners will stop and let each other weave across lanes to stay on the highest part of the street. Not only that but driving on top of the trolley tracks as opposed to the road is understood as well! Notice the pics included. The white car ahead was FLOATING in front of a marriot. It was taken looking through my windshield. Notice also the “no left turn sign” in front of me.
Not to worry my friends I made that left! And all fellow NOLA flood victims let me make my illegal left cause I wasn’t going to drive into 4 foot flood waters that’s for damn sure!
After much dodging, weaving, and praying I turned back and made it to the highway and on to the airport to get my father in law. The crazy thing is that 3 hours later I returned to try and finally make it to the St Charles store and get the chicken and ALL THE WATER WAS GONE. All the remnants of flooding were trash and debris littering the street.
I know NOLA is below sea level, but for the first time I really began to understand how the flooding in Katrina might have looked. I stress might in my understanding. A city like this is vibrant and energetic and incredibly vulnerable. That water rose remarkably fast and it’s so easy to find yourself with no way out… I was truly scared.
Flood watch=stay home. I’m certain this is one of many eye openers for me.
“Turn around. Don’t drown”
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