What Natural Disasters Can and Will Teach You

So the flooding in Georgia is hit or miss. The 17 Metro counties in and around Atlanta got hit pretty hard with the west side of Atlanta getting hit the hardest. The most deaths have occurred here unfortunately. We actually were unable to get to work today because of the major interstate heading into Atlanta was shut down due to the Chattahoochee River rising above the interstate and flowing over it with waves like you would see at the ocean. Cars were stranded on the downtown connector and the rivers, creeks and streams busted at the seams! I had no idea that would happen. I was more concerned about getting home last night than I was about getting to work this morning. But I didn't think into the future as to where all the water would end up after it fell to the ground.

Now we have to worry about the trees and all the water that has saturated the ground... and of course let's not forget the rain that is expected this weekend.

It is crazy to think just a regular rain storm could do all of this. There was no hurricane, no tropical storm or tornado... just plain old rain, but a bunch of it all at once. I was glad neither of us tried to venture in this morning by using the detours that were in place, because by rush hour this evening they had shut those down too. There would have been nothing worse than not being able to get to our son!

So anyway back to what natural disasters can and will teach you... you have to be resourceful and smart! The photo journalist in me wanted to stop and take shots of the rising water as I headed home yesterday, but I have to think about my family now and besides Mother Nature is so unpredictable. Everyone knows it only take a few inches of water to carry a person away and only a few feet of water to take a car off of the road. But yet I saw people yesterday repeatedly trying to drive through water covering the roadways.

It is times like these that makes you realize how much you take for granted the ability to be able to turn on the tap and know the water is safe or that you will always have a route to get to and from work. Or it makes you realize that if something happened to your main route, you better have a back-up plan.

Years ago while we were on vacation in Indonesia visiting relatives we learned some valuable lessons about water and how to make it safe in order to be able to bath and drink it. We have put those lessons to good use the past couple of days. Our lil guy was bathed tonight in a tub full of water that we had boiled on the stove first. We had to use ice cubes to finally cool it down to a temperature that was acceptable for him to bath in. We also thought it would be useful to keep the water in there and not drain it so we can add water to it for his next bath in case the Boil Water advisory stays in effect for a while.

And what is even crazier is that after all the torential rains we have had the past few days, the sun comes out and makes it all seem alright on the surface when there are so many suffering from the loss of personal possessions or loved ones lives. It all happens in an instance... cherish what you have and don't take things for granted... ever!