Friends - if you have time the next few days, go check out WDBJ7's coverage of the Flood of 1985. As a life long resident of Roanoke, I remember this all too well. My home was flooded with about 18-20" of water, and I was left pretty much homeless. As an 11 soon to be 12 year old, let me assure you this was a life-altering event.
I remember being stuck at school for a long time without being able to flush toilets or drink from the fountains. I know that I ended up at my grandparents houses at some point before we could get back home and then the drive seemed incredibly long as we couldn't go our normal way.
Thanks to wonderful neighbors named Dave and Jean Vest we were able to stay in a warm house until my parents could clean our bathroom. We then lived in my grandparent's travel trailer in the driveway until our home was livable again. I can remember trying to go to sleep the night of Nov 4th and hearing the wailing of sirens from firetrucks and ambulances. I remember my mother's bosses bringing us food and clothes. I remember my teacher Mrs. Gobble picking me up and taking me to buy a new dictionary, thesaurus, etc. I remember the National Guard standing watch in our neighborhood to protect us and our property from looters. I remember hosing down a Jeep that had slowly circled our block looking to see what they could steal.
I believe we are shaped by what we've lived through. I think it's because of my experiences in 1985 that my heart goes out to those who suffer natural disasters. I think that this played a large part in my becoming a member of the Salem Rescue Squad so many years later. And to prove we live in a small world - the "missing rescue squad member" you will hear about turned out to be the first paramedic I would work with at SRS. I consider him one of my best friends to this day. He is a wonderful person who taught me so much and had things been different that day, I would have never had the opportunity to know him.
And to conclude - 25 years later, I work in the hospital that you will see was flooded. I am proud to live in Roanoke, and I'm grateful that my community has served me well and helped me become the person I am today.
1 comment:
I vividly remember the flood, too, though I was 10 years older than you. It sticks in my mind because my husband, a firefighter, was on duty that day, and because I was trapped in Daleville and unable to get home for hours, and because the basement flooded with two feet of water, and my grandmother's house on the Roanoke River flooded out completely. I think about the flood every November. I am sorry you suffered because of it.
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