checking in from Baltimore

[BaltimoreGirl]

We're ok, but had some major flooding. We just got power back, but suspect we will lose it again. I put before and after pictures up here:
http://www.danemist.com/Isabel2003.htm
I will let you know what we experienced throught the night later. It was a really bad night. Our neighborhood is underwater. Last night they were only calling for tides 1-3 feet higher than normal. It's at least 8 feet higher and high tide is expected again at 1. More later.

[vortex100]

Great before and after pics! Gives us a good idea of how your small part of the world was affected.

[HeatherAKC]

Thanks for sharing those pictures. I can really tell the difference between the before and after and that's just a tiny part of the area affected.

[GalvestonDuck]

Thanks for checking in, BG.

Wow! In the before pic, there's a blue building to the right of the picture, behind the swingset. In the after pic, it's gone! :o

[janswizard]

Glad to hear you're okay, BaltimoreGirl. Hope that the next high tide doesn't do any more damage.

[weatherlover427]

Nice pics BG. :o As nice as they can be given the situation. Thanks for sharing them with us.

[JCT777]

BaltimoreGirl - that is an amazing before and after. Yikes!! :o I truly hope that the flooding does not get any worse for you.

[alicia-w]

Thanks for the pictures.

Does anyone know how Grasonville faired?

[PTrackerLA]

Looks like your gonna lose your willow tree too, I hope your house is okay...

[Mello1]

I just saw the pics on the Baltimore Sun website. I attended a meeting located in Fells Point just last month.

Now Fells Point is under water. Folks are literally canoeing down the streets of downtown Baltimore and Annapolis. Never seen anything like it. At least 3-4 on avg.; higher in some parts. Sry but don't know how to post pics here. You can go to the website and click on photo gallery:

http://www.sunspot.net/

[Colin]

Glad you're OK!!!

[Stephanie]

Wow, BG! Amazing pictures! I hope that high tide doesn't do too much more damage!

[BaltimoreGirl]

Well, the shock is finally over, and the water, for the most part is gone. Now the clean up begins. We did not flood out in the house.Yesterday, the sound of wind has been replaced with the sound of sirens and shop vacs. For us, yesterday was filled with trying to help some of our neighbors pick up what is left with their lives. The high tide we were expecting never materialized. My husband(who left work in the middle of the night to come home when he saw the water rising) took his heavy duty water pump up and down the street and helped the neighbors pump out their houses and we lent the 2 shop vacs we had to whoever needed them. Luckily, our shop drained completely when the water receded, but we lost quite a bit of business equipment.

The storm itself was outright scary I had no way to guage the winds, but they slowly increased throughout the night. Before the power went off, the local mets were reporting 26 mph steady winds with 40mph gusts.They reported the same at the 11 o'clock news. Doesn't sound like alot, but it actually shook the house. Later during the night the winds really picked up. The house creaked and windows were rattling.(and I will add, I live in a poured concrete home that was built in the 40's as a bomb shelter).There was steady rain, but it wasn't a downpour. At midnight, I went out on the deck to check the water level. It was high, but still a good 2 feet under the pier. By 2, it was up to the pier. I laid my head down after the 2 am check and must have fallen asleep. I woke up at 4 to something.At that point, I didn't know what it was.I though maybe it was the sound of the bilge pump on our boat that was trailers beside the house. I looked out in the back to see the tree down across our pier. The wind was so bad I couldn't even walk out the door. It was pitch black out but the marina across the creek had a generator and had some back up spots on the boats that remained in the water. I could see the outlines of the owners tryng to adjust their lines to keep from losing their boats. Then I realized the water in the yard and saw how fast it was moving toward the house. You can't imagine, unless you have lived it, how scared I was. In the 20 years of living here, this had never happened. I thought when Fran hit, it was bad because the water came over our bulkhead. I woke the kids and put them upstairs and then tried to move as much as I could out of the way. My husband came home and we tried to go out back and save what we could, before the water took it away. Then we just sat and watched. There is a point, where you can only do what you can, and have to put the rest in the hands of God. We are lucky. we live on the cove, which is higher than the surrounding houses. Many of my neighbors had waist high water in their homes. Cars were flooded. We saw evacuation teams on boats around 4. They stopped to ask if we were ok, and if we wanted to leave. We chose to stay. The water would have had to rise another 10 feet for us to be in any danger. Some of my neighbors did choose to leave.

The water at the end of my yard was 4 feet high. Which is on top of a 6 foot bulkhead. Water at the bottom of my deck stairs was about a foot. The water came up over 125 feet into the yard. My lot is 175 feet long. Most of my neighbors have 50X100 foot lots. I add this just to explain what these people experiences. As I has much further for the water to go, than most of my neighbors did. I can't imagine the fear they felt as the waves began lapping over their back doors. Mode of transportatiin yesterday was row boat. Hubby and I rowed into the yard to secure what had become lose and to retreive what we could(we were in the process of renovating the exterior of the shop.

The blue shed next door, actually lifted off it's foundation(we are not allowed permanent structures within 100 feet of the water here, so it was not secured) and shifted about 2 feet to the right. It is still there, but it is now hanging off the foundation. The house next door is a rental property and the owner has yet to be down. The neighbors secured it enough so it did not collapse.

I am honestly tired of the media helicopters, media with microphones in your face asking "How do you feel?" and the looky lou's that have nothing else better to do but drive uo and down the road (I might add, there is one way in, and one way out of the neighborhood, so they were even blocking the emergency vehicles from getting in and out)and gawk at what a disaster this is. # children were almost run over yesterday by people who had nothing else better to do but sight see. Finally last night, they stationed police at the entrance to the neighborhood to keep the looky lou's out.

[janswizard]

Glad to hear you're all okay but so sorry that you had to go through this. I even understand how you feel about all the people who are out sight-seeing. You would think they would realize that your neighborhood has been traumitized by what has happened and would leave you some peace in picking up the pieces.

[Jack8631]

I'm glad your OK, BaltimoreGirl. The pictures took me for a second; the slight change in angle..I thought your house was gone! I can see how the media buzz would be a pain right about now; you're trying to help neighbors (which is admirable, considering you have much work of your own ahead of you).
Are you somewhere on Back or Middle River? I was born and raised in Parkville.

[HurricaneQueen]

Wow, Baltimore Girl, thanks for sharing the in depth and personal experience. I'm sorry you had to go through what you did but am happy that it wasn't worse. It sounds as if you were in the right place if the storm did have to go through there. I'm sure it's an experience you will never forget. I think it is wonderful that you are taking it upon yourselves to help others less fortunate as I'm sure there is plenty to be done on your property.

Hopefully, life will get some semblance of normalcy soon for you. Others may not be so fortunate, but your neighbors, at least, are lucky to have you. Thanks again, Lynn