Scarred

        Mother nature’s fury over the last few years has scarred me. I’m not alone, I know. A lot of people who live in S.E. Texas, have been scarred. Those of us that were affected by the 2016 Tax Day and Memorial Day floods and Hurricane Harvey in 2017 are scarred.

         My family was forced to moved off our cherished property. This was one of the hardest decisions we’ve made in our lives, my husband and me. There were several factors that led us to the tough decision. But these were the top two: the creek and the anxieties.

        The creek that is about 100 yards behind the property came out of its banks and right into our house. Twice. The first time, we had a foot of water in the house, the second time, twice that. Two times in as many years was difficult to deal with. For those who have not dealt with a flooded home, you might not think 12” or 24” is that big of a deal. Oh, my friend…it was a very big deal.

Personal photo © Barhenslee Images after Hurricane Harvey 2017

         From dealing with pulling every single item out of the house, carpet and all. To losing precious items, furniture and heirlooms. To dealing with contractors (I should write an article just on crooked contractors that seep out of the woodwork). To dealing with insurance adjusters and FEMA. And, last but certainly not least, having to find alternative housing for months while the house is being torn apart and rebuilt. When I say torn apart, I mean that literally. In order to ensure successful mold remediation, the sheet-rock is cut out 4 feet up. Twice, we lived this nightmare.

Personal photo © Barhenslee Images after Hurricane Harvey 2017

        After experiencing this ordeal twice in two years, we just could not imagine going through it again. And, again. And, again. I knew in my heart that it could and likely would happen every time we have a devastating rain event. Weather patterns are changing. Everything living in the world is affected. We’ve all heard and read the hundreds of stories of those affected by climate change.

        We know that the damage caused by climate change is long term and irreparable. We realize the enormous anxiety climate change is placing on people. The sake of our children’s future is in jeopardy. Today’s percentage of people who do not believe in climate change astounds me. But the numbers of people whose minds are changing are growing. This article from April of 2019 shows some statistics. Nearly six-in-ten Americans see climate change as a major threat (59%), up 19 points from 2013.

        The anxiety that my husband dealt with worrying and preparing for possible flood was the deciding factor. We simply could not live life this way. He could not be expected to battle the creek every time a major rain event occurred. As much as we loved our house and property of almost 20 years, his health and well-being pushed us over the edge.

        Then, we had to go through the anxieties of losing equity, which we did. But it wasn’t as bad as I thought. After we put the property on the market, we had lots of people interested because the house and property were simply gorgeous. My husband put his heart and soul into our place, and it showed. But, that disclosure of “twice flooded” was enough to scare most away.

         One couple loved the house and property very much. It was perfect for their family. The man loved the acreage and the large building added on to the property. The lady loved the house and the property and was willing to take the flood risk. He wasn’t.

        But, by the grace of God, five weeks later, after looking at many properties, the lady couldn’t get our house off her mind. They called back, and long story short…they bought the house for close to what we asked.

        So, we sold the house and bought another, closing on both sales the same day, Friday, July 13th, 2018. We’ve been in the new, high and dry house for almost a year. The house has a second story so that we can evacuate to the next level if needed. I call this insurance.

        The hurricane season is almost upon us. And, as my crystal ball predicted, Mother Nature isn’t going to give any breaks for the weary. This week, we had several anxiety-filled days awaiting the arrival of lines of storms expected over several anxiety-filled days:

        Planning for contingencies. Purchasing gasoline for the generator. Filling the vehicles with gasoline. Considering taking the Mustang to my company’s parking garage. Replenishing the pantry with non-perishable foods. Packing a bag with clothes, dog necessities, important documents. Calling the pet friendly hotel (that know us well) for availability. Watching the weather cast non-stop.

        I don’t know that we’ll be healed from the past until we experience another weather event resulting in fifty inches of rain and water doesn’t penetrate our walls.

        We’re scarred. But, we have each other and the love between us is what gives us the strength to carry on. Storm or no storm.