We always have trouble finding a campsite near Indianapolis and this time we went to Mississinewa Reservoir near Peru, Indiana. We used to go here when our kids were little and we would often meet Mom and Dad for a weekend of camping all together. It really is a fun place and things haven't really changed much.
The landscape looks totally different though because they were flooded a few years ago. The water stayed around long enough to kill all the grass and vegetation and that is still not filled in. Then they had tornados and high winds and trees were knocked over by the thousands from the looks of things. So it kind of looked like a war zone. Definitely desolate. The campground itself looked much the same, just the roads and woods leading up to and around the lake are devastated. But they are finally open and taking on paying customers like us. We chose a full hookup site that was as level as we could find. That is the problem here. They never attempted to level the campsites when the campground was built and have never tried to rectify that. And to add to that misery, they cleared out the group camp area and put in "seasonal sites" for people who wish to stay all summer, but there was no attempt to level any of those. And they are paved! I asked about it in the office and they all said they had no input on that. What a travesty to spend all that money on those sites and not even attempt to level them, leaving them to slope on the rolling ground.
We met with Terry's cardiologist on Wednesday. Nothing new to report except they are going to change one of his meds. This won't happen for a few weeks, but we are hoping it helps him recover some stamina.
We were there two nights, then moved up to Warsaw and camped at the fairgrounds so we could go visit with Mom. We also wanted to go to the house and turn on the heat for when we return in another week.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Showing posts with label flood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flood. Show all posts
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Sunday, November 06, 2016
Family time!
We moved on from Buccaneer State Park in Waveland, Mississippi, to the Natalbany Campground in Amite, Louisiana. We are here to visit cousin Gary and wife Jo. Normally we stay at their house, parking in the back yard. That wasn't possible this trip because three months ago, about August 20, this entire area in Louisiana was hit with over 30 inches of rain in a very short period. It was an "unnamed" tropical storm and it wreaked havoc on the entire lower part of the state. Gary and Jo woke up to three feet of water in their yard. Jo's office where she works on advertising specialties was full of river water. The house is built up off the ground on pylons three feet tall, so they were fortunate that they had no water in their house. The water lasted 36 hours and then receded. In addition to Jo's shop being inundated, their outbuildings and barns had nearly three feet of water in them and much of the equipment and tools stored there are probably ruined. Their Prevost bus in the backyard had water in the storage bays, but none in the coach itself, but the generator was flooded and it does not work. They worked tirelessly to get Jo's shop cleaned up and three weeks later she was able to get back in and work.
Today we toured some of the hardest hit areas around Denham 
Springs which Gary said left 55,000 residents with significant flood damage or homes totally destroyed by the water. Driving down through the streets of town, we saw piles of debris piled up on the sides of the road. In some subdivisions, only one lane was passable due to the debris. Gary said these were not the first loads set out by the road. People would haul ruined goods out, then when they started working on their homes, they would put out ruined dry wall and insulation, etc. So many of the debris piles were the 3rd and 4th piles of debris set out for the trash company to pick up. It was heartbreaking to see this. The 
Wal-Mart there was flooded and is still not open. . . three months later. Many businesses were closed and not likely to re-open. So much debris.
We visited a friend of Jo's and her husband. Gary and Jo's travel
trailer sits in the back yard of their once flooded home where they have been living. When they first had to leave, they went to a shelter. They were moved to three different shelters. When Gary and Jo learned of this they took their trailer over and set it up for them. All their possession they were 
able to keep are on their covered patio. They were one of the lucky ones. They had flood insurance and insurance on contents, but it still hasn't been easy. They still 
have not gotten a settlement but are expecting one. While we were there, the gentlemen thanked Gary and Jo for their help and generosity in loaning them their trailer. He said one man told him he and his son had to move in with his sister and brother-in-law who is charging them $900 a month to live with them. And all he provides them for food is hot dogs and bologne while his family sits at the same table and eats steak in front of them. Gary told him they can keep the trailer as long as they need it, even if it's a year. This couple was very grateful for the kindness shown them.
Gary and Jo had barely cleaned up their place from the flood when they were in a terrible auto accident on I-12. I reported about this in an earlier blog Winding down, , ,, so I won't repeat it here. But they are recovering. Gary is able to drive, although his arm is still in a cast. Jo is still in a wheelchair because a broken bone in her leg needs to heal before it can bear weight. They seem to be doing well and are able to get around. Jo also has a motorized cart with which she can go out in the yard.
It was great to see them considering all their recent trials. We are glad they are recovering well and looking forward to the days ahead.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Today we toured some of the hardest hit areas around Denham 
Springs which Gary said left 55,000 residents with significant flood damage or homes totally destroyed by the water. Driving down through the streets of town, we saw piles of debris piled up on the sides of the road. In some subdivisions, only one lane was passable due to the debris. Gary said these were not the first loads set out by the road. People would haul ruined goods out, then when they started working on their homes, they would put out ruined dry wall and insulation, etc. So many of the debris piles were the 3rd and 4th piles of debris set out for the trash company to pick up. It was heartbreaking to see this. The 
Wal-Mart there was flooded and is still not open. . . three months later. Many businesses were closed and not likely to re-open. So much debris.We visited a friend of Jo's and her husband. Gary and Jo's travel
trailer sits in the back yard of their once flooded home where they have been living. When they first had to leave, they went to a shelter. They were moved to three different shelters. When Gary and Jo learned of this they took their trailer over and set it up for them. All their possession they were 
able to keep are on their covered patio. They were one of the lucky ones. They had flood insurance and insurance on contents, but it still hasn't been easy. They still 
have not gotten a settlement but are expecting one. While we were there, the gentlemen thanked Gary and Jo for their help and generosity in loaning them their trailer. He said one man told him he and his son had to move in with his sister and brother-in-law who is charging them $900 a month to live with them. And all he provides them for food is hot dogs and bologne while his family sits at the same table and eats steak in front of them. Gary told him they can keep the trailer as long as they need it, even if it's a year. This couple was very grateful for the kindness shown them.Gary and Jo had barely cleaned up their place from the flood when they were in a terrible auto accident on I-12. I reported about this in an earlier blog Winding down, , ,, so I won't repeat it here. But they are recovering. Gary is able to drive, although his arm is still in a cast. Jo is still in a wheelchair because a broken bone in her leg needs to heal before it can bear weight. They seem to be doing well and are able to get around. Jo also has a motorized cart with which she can go out in the yard.
It was great to see them considering all their recent trials. We are glad they are recovering well and looking forward to the days ahead.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Sunday, November 01, 2015
New Camp
When we left Gary and Jo's, we traveled across Louisiana and to the town of Vinton, just 4 miles from the Texas line. We stayed in a county park called Niblett's Bluff County Park. They had 50 amp with water and a dump station. We stayed there two nights.
It started raining when we got there and continued to rain all the 
rest of that day and the next. There were flood warnings and we were sitting on the Sabine River. Across the river was Texas. We didn't think too much about it because we were sitting back a ways in the camp and we should have plenty of warning if the river should rise. And the river did rise. I'm not sure how much rain they got, but there was a pretty heavy rain for a day and a half. But also, the areas to the north got heavy rain, so that would all eventually drain into the river.
The day we got there, we went out and walked on the piers which 
were built in a "U" shape from the shore. They were not floating docks, however, so when the river came up, the piers went under. The boat ramp was the first area to flood, then eventually the piers and it was odd to see the pier benches seemingly floating on top of the water. The were actually affixed to the piers themselves. The fish cleaning stations were under water and the road to the boat ramp was impassable. But we were high enough it didn't bother us and we were able to get out and continue our journey to Houston.
BUT. . . not without stopping first at the Delta Downs casino. We were there less than an hour and walked out with just over $35 to the good. If we had had more time, we might have stayed longer, but we wanted to get on in to Houston.
Till next time. . .
Dale
It started raining when we got there and continued to rain all the 
rest of that day and the next. There were flood warnings and we were sitting on the Sabine River. Across the river was Texas. We didn't think too much about it because we were sitting back a ways in the camp and we should have plenty of warning if the river should rise. And the river did rise. I'm not sure how much rain they got, but there was a pretty heavy rain for a day and a half. But also, the areas to the north got heavy rain, so that would all eventually drain into the river.
The day we got there, we went out and walked on the piers which 
were built in a "U" shape from the shore. They were not floating docks, however, so when the river came up, the piers went under. The boat ramp was the first area to flood, then eventually the piers and it was odd to see the pier benches seemingly floating on top of the water. The were actually affixed to the piers themselves. The fish cleaning stations were under water and the road to the boat ramp was impassable. But we were high enough it didn't bother us and we were able to get out and continue our journey to Houston.BUT. . . not without stopping first at the Delta Downs casino. We were there less than an hour and walked out with just over $35 to the good. If we had had more time, we might have stayed longer, but we wanted to get on in to Houston.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
