Water Water Everywhere

Since there is no longer anything to be done other than wait for the water to leave so we can start cleaning up, I went out yesterday for a couple of hours just to take pictures. It looked like a lot of other people had the same idea! I spent time talking to many of them; we're all stunned at what we are seeing.

The river crested yesterday and began to recede in Rochester, though much of the community is inaccessible...I got around as well as I could since I didn't bring a boat. Here is what the town looked like as of yesterday afternoon, with a mere 5-6 houses left untouched by the floodwaters:

Taken from the corner of 2nd Street near the edge of town...if you look to the left of the frame, you can see where the floodwaters cover the street, ending in front of the home we helped empty yesterday. To the right you can see where they begin again, going back to where the daycare would be on the corner of 1st Street, with still more flooded road beyond it.


Looking toward the daycare. Friday we were able to walk down this street on dry ground.




If you click on the photo for the large view and look carefully in the middle of the frame you can barely make out the street sign on the corner where the daycare sits. The roof of the garage is just visible through the trees.


I walked to the left as far as I could down 2nd Street, stopping by the home we emptied yesterday. The resident was sitting out front; he hadn't gone into the home yet since we were due for more rain, but pointed out the mark on the road where the water level had been just that morning (visible at the bottom of the frame).


The street in front of his home, which just the day before was lined with cars (in a photograph I posted Friday).


His side yard. Water was still flowing through here and across the street behind me. This is the only way to see the spot where there was a pick-up truck parked (it had since been moved), which I photographed on Friday.


The area behind me where the water was flowing, still further from where the initial flooding started.


Driving down the alley at the back of the community (furthest from the river), you can see where people have parked truckloads of their belongings.


I drove around the back of town to view more of 2nd street. If you stay where the road is, the water is shallow enough in some areas to wade up the block. I decided I would pass on that for now.


This photo was taken on 1st Street Thursday late morning as we drove by this house.


Little more than 24 hours later:


Much of the back portion of Rochester now is accessible only by boat, including our daycare






People were finding all sorts of ways to get around the flooded streets.






The Methodist church at the back of town, quite a ways from the river...you can see the water had crept up behind it.




I took many more photos yesterday--of the roads and I-80--which I will post later. For now I just wanted to share the reality of what has happened to Rochester.