I just saw your other post... "Here we go again" ... Glad you are able to get on line and tell us about it!

Also wondering how you are doing.

Hi magothyrivergirl...

We are still here, thanks for asking. There's no place to go. We lost 2 of our 3 bridges. We were trapped most of Monday & Tuesday to about a 1/2 mile radius. Emergency Management, Public Works, & the fire department kept an eye on us so we weren't in any physical danger. We do have water intrusion & damage but it's so minor (less than $10K) compared to what my fellow Mystic/Stonington neighbors are suffering it's hardly worth noting in this morning's aftermath. Mystic is a mess.

Here's a national article mentioning we were cut off. Look for "Stonington, Conn" in the article. Mystic is not an official place. It's weird. Anyway, we are in Mystic on the Stonington side of the river so Stonington is our governing body. Westerly, Rhode Island came to our aid yesterday or we'd have been in real trouble. We are located basically right on the state line between CT & RI out on a small penninsula.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Easterners Scatter

Thanks for the update Tricia - I saw your other post a few minutes ago. I have been following this - your little town is like our city of Annapolis- we had 8'floods during Isabell. I know what you are going thru. The important thing right now is to stay safe, hopefully you will have utiliites and water. We boiled and had to conserve on the flushing and draining because the sewer pumping station had lost power also. Many of us are on well water, so when power goes out, no water.
I live on a peninsula, not fun when you get isolated and need the bridges.
I hope and pray your area dries out. You are in my thoughts and prayers!
I have been seeing the news- keep posting your pictures - I look at them. My best wishes to you all.

Thanks for the update Tricia - I saw your other post a few minutes ago. I have been following this - your little town is like our city of Annapolis- we had 8'floods during Isabell. I know what you are going thru. The important thing right now is to stay safe, hopefully you will have utiliites and water. We boiled and had to conserve on the flushing and draining because the sewer pumping station had lost power also. Many of us are on well water, so when power goes out, no water.
I live on a peninsula, not fun when you get isolated and need the bridges.
I hope and pray your area dries out. You are in my thoughts and prayers!
I have been seeing the news- keep posting your pictures - I look at them. My best wishes to you all.

How awful. I mentioned to a co-worker yesterday about the poor RI'ers, and she pointed out about all that flooding on top of how badly the economy has hit them. I know all of you are affected by this terrible flooding. I didn't realize you lived way out there, Tricia. What an ordeal. My thoughts and prayers are with you and all on the east coast.

Sally

Tricia, I stopped by here to check in on you. I'm glad you're okay, although it sounds like you must be quite flustered too.

I've never seen anything like this in my entire life. Sally, you're right, this is the worst thing that could happen to an already devastated state (unemployment rate 13%). So many people have lost their homes and businesses. You may remember several years ago there was a nightclub that caught on fire here and 100 people died. The worst of the flooding is in that same town. It's so incredibly sad.

I can't keep up with the water coming into my house. It seeps through the walls, up from the floor, you name it. It doesn't just trickle in, it's pouring in as though there was a faucet sticking out of the wall. The water got several feet deep in my basement, 4.5 feet maybe. The kids went to school Monday. The rest of the week, it's cancelled. My back yard is a pond. There is no sign of grass. The water is a few feet deep.

Yesterday, Seth got his SUV stuck in the mud and it's going to stay there for awhile. AAA refused to even try to get it out, and a local guy was unsuccessful (although he did drag it about 5 feet out - about 800 to go to the main road)

Route 95 through the middle of Rhode Island is completely shut down because it is under water. The mall parking lot in that area is filled with water, covering all cars that might have been left there. All the stores are flooded.

Most of the things that are damaged are just that - things. Seth and I both lost lots of pictures and other sentimental things of our late spouses, so that really stinks, but we are safe and healthy. I'm sure many, many other people lost things that were priceless, yet of no monetary value.

If you're on facebook, check out the page "The Great Rain Day of 2010" There are some pictures of some local spots that will give you chills. At least it did for me, knowing the area. Very, very sad.

Tricia and all others in the New England area, be safe.

Good to hear from you, Lori.

I'm still stunned. What a mess. Mystic's been approved for Federal FEMA funds already. The Gov. & a FEMA rep were here yesterday. We got a reverse 911 call today from the Stonington Police Captain providing claim instructions. We've also got FEMA Flood Insurance. We suspect our mil rate will be increased soon to help pay for this disaster. Everywhere we try to go...same thing..."Road Closed - Flooded".

Isn't it amazing how the water just bubbles up through the floors? Our toliets wouldn't flush on Tuesday & the water backed-up into the tub. The water just perked up through the foundation & flooring like a fountain. We're on a slab. No basement 'cause the water table is too high. Wow, it's really too high now! Our property was under water for a couple days. There's spots of grass showing now but you can't walk on them...sink down a foot in the muck easily. So, I really understand about Seth getting the SUV stuck. We can't tell yet if our foundation has been undermined...still too much water to check.

We're also having lots of trees just topple over. One minute they're standing there fine & the next minute over they go...boom. All over town. The town says they don't know if the utility poles are structurally sound either.

I am still disbelieving of how badly Elm Grove Cemetery flooded. I never expected to have our route to I-95 blocked by flooding of the cemetery. Whitford Brook became a raging river destroying everything in its path & all pouring into the Mystic. The antique store in Old Mystic has lost their entire inventory. Dumpsters everywhere. Repairs are already underway at the Flanders Road bridge. We need that bridge...can't get to the dump without the bridge & there's lots of stuff that needs to go to that transfer station.

I'm so sorry to read about your flooding. You're also right on the water so I'm assuming you've also got FEMA Flood coverage? We pay so darn much for that insurance. I always thought if the day came we needed it...it would be from the Sound. Not rain all the way from Cuba! Is your house liveable? Mold is going to be a problem. Please be safe.

Alton Dam is holding so the Westerly evacuation has been halted. Some good news. Pawcatuck is just devestated in the downtown area. There's just too much damage to even list. I've seen the pictures of the mall...Macy's got to have close to 8' of water surrounding the building.

Well, again, be safe. Are your utilities still on? We have power & our propane tank survived. We're being told not to do laundry & only flush when absolutely necessary. Thanks for checking in.

/tricia

PS My daffodils are poking up thru the water!! Sturdy little buggers!

Remember flood insurance is for water rising - coming up like you described.
Any water damage from wind / rain coming down - homeowners.
Take pictures.
I hope the best for all of you. It is hard to fathom the damage the waterways we love and work so hard to preserve can turn on us and cause so much damage and destruction!

The wildlife will be affected as well.
I am so sorry you have to go thru this!

The Red Cross has arrived! We are grateful. They're handing out clean-up supplies (mops, buckets, lots of bleach, gloves, sneakers, rubber boots, etc.). They're also providing sandwiches & drinks. Nice folks. Heaven knows, they are much needed & appreciated. Thank you Red Cross!

Engineer coming tomorrow to check our foundation.

/tricia

Just checking in to read your updates, Tricia. I hope the engineer had good news? Glad to hear you at least have power and propane. Let us know how things are today if you can. We are all very concerned for our forum friends going through yet another devastating natural calamity.

Teresa

Well, we've got a foundation "issue". We're going to let things dry out a bit more...taking advantage of this great & DRY weather...and then we'll have to fix the foundation, replace some framing timber, insulation, drywall, flooring, & finish work. I'm very glad I spent my career with construction loans. We also had our handyman, Lance, here for the engineer's check. Between all of us we're pretty sure of what needs to be done & hopefully won't find the water penetrated into the house further than we probed. Lance is going to do the work for us & he lives in RI & has damage to his house also.

We got one of those emergency bridges, like what they build in Iraq, so we can get to the dump. The dump was open even today & Stonington is waiving all fees. This is a real help to have a place for flood trash.

The gardens are such a mess we don't even know where to start. The soil is too wet to do anything yet.

/tricia

Glad to hear you are going to be able to dump all the wet, ruined stuff.
I think that is good news on your house - how did your boat do?