Hurricane Irene hit here in NJ. I've been up most the night. My back up battery for my sump pump failed around 2:30 AM when the power went out, and my basement began filling with water. I actually keep my books and music stuff in the basement, so as the water began rising, I moved what could.
I simply prayed. Books are just... things. So, I simply was thankful for the years I had them. As the water filled, I turned off my furnace and hot water heater, unplugged what I could, and tried to figure out how to get down to my electrical panel once the water stopped. As the water encroached upon the part of my basement where my books are, the power came back on, and my pump kicked into gear, and in about 5 minutes the water was gone. If the power though goes out again, it'll be the same thing all over again.
I've got a serious leak in my kitchen, but as long as I empty the buckets, all will be fine. I'll re-shingle and patch. I've yet to head into my attic, but I expect to find a few leaks there as well. My house is around 100 years old. It's seen this before.
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12 comments:
Sorry to hear that!
I'm a lot farther inland but was worried about losing power. Glad Irene lost steam on her way up.
Sounds like you need a new back up battery :(
Jim, we don't have hurricane in the Midwest, but we got tornados. I'll pray for your family's safety.
Glad your books were saved.
My books, at least those I've written in and wrestled with, are like friends. I'd hate to lose any of them!
I'm glad to hear you're alright.
I'm glad to hear you're alright.
I am glad you are ok, James.
Lots of flooding and water in your area, I am seeing it on the news. Wow.
Also glad to hear that the flooding didn't get your books.
James,
Glad to hear your basement got bailed out quickly! And those books! I still can't get over the "they're just things" comment. I wish I were as spiritually enlightened as you when it comes to that. My son and I patched a hole in the roof (where rainwater had been leaking into the laundry room for some time now) before the hurricane hit. I'm glad to announce a completely dry laundry room after that. Also, I've found that it pays to have your house on a slab! :-)
Matthew!
You WRITE in your books!
Sacrilege! Impurity!
Pilgrimsarbour - good to see you commenting here again!
James, I'm sorry to hear about your troubles, but glad that you averted most of the troubles. Our home has been flooded twice and it's a messy business.
Thank you all for your kind concerns.
One thing I think I've learned from this is that Hurricane Irene hit us as a strong tropical storm. If ever NJ / NYC was hit with a category 2 or 3 hurricane, it would be mayhem. I don't think my pump could keep up with the water, even it stayed on.
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