Flood tales, tall or otherwise

There are a number of flood horror stories that I can’t put in the Farm Side because they remain unsubstantiated. However, some ring true and deserve to see the light of day, so here are a couple or three.


The authorities are alleged to have failed to open the river dams in order to save pleasure boats moored below them at the expense of further damage to land facilities. Whole towns were pretty much wiped out. I am thinking maybe there just wasn’t time to do anything about the locks and dams, but who knows?


Our diesel guy was reportedly refused admittance to our road, even though there was no possibility of flooding anywhere between the intersection where he tried to turn and us. (This one is no rumor, but came right from the driver.) We live about an 8th of a mile from that intersection by the way, and were out of fuel for the generator and field work.


One valley fire department is said to have lost all their fuel to water contamination. The same delivery guy told us that they were called because their trucks are on relatively high ground. They could also apparently be accessed without going through any serious high water spots, at least nothing that would stop a large diesel engine. Local authorities refused access to the trucks anyhow.



A local farmer was allegedly arrested for trying to get into town to pump out a stranded family member. He left court and drove right down and helped her anyhow.


FEMA is offering people who lost entire homes and all of their possessions between $2000 and $2500 to help them rebuild. They gave each person a debit card for that much in Katrina, much of the money being used to buy shameless luxuries. Guess upstate NY isn’t quite as glamorous.
(Bear in mind that these stories are just that, tales that are being told as folks gather to assess the damage and commiserate over their losses.)


At least one rumor that was giving us fits is that Peck’s Lake is closed. My much-anticipated week at that facility begins a week from Saturday. When we heard that the lake was closed I came pretty close to bawling. I know a lost vacation isn’t much stacked up against the devastation that has hit our neighbors. Still the peace and quiet and the loons and rainbow trout mean a lot to me.
Thus I was delighted, thrilled, overjoyed, and just plain real happy to talk to an extremely agitated Alby Peck today. Seems the papers were just fishing for something to write about, and pretty much fabricated the closed lake story. Peck’s is open and eager to regain all the business the false story cost them.