It has rained on and off all week, with steadier rain today. Our soil is saturated, and we are at the point I remember so well in September 2013 the night before our flood started. The situation was almost identical: rain for days, and that night it was coming down hard.

The next morning my side stream had overflowed its banks and there was 8 inches of water in the yard, later became 4 feet. Then, the dam above us opened its gates and the main channel of the river filled up to level with my bridge. Things went rapidly downhill from there.

I don't want to go to sleep and then wake up to a situation like that.

It's almost 11 pm, but I went out and moved my truck across the river in case my bridge might get compromised. The main river channel is fine, but my side stream is a few inches from overflowing, and rocks are rattling through the culvert, propelled by the swift water. It's a creepy sound.



It's three times as much water tonight.