Due to storms in the Ozarks I have had no access to the Internet since April 29th. If the outage continues until May 2nd, I will attempt to post this from a local MacDonald’s, that is, if I can even get out my road to get to one. The only road out of here is now under ten feet of water. The cell phone tower is also out so I cannot use the phone to communicate either.
Severe thunderstorms started on the evening of April 29th and they did not end for 36 hours. I measured 10.5 inches of rain at my place but even more rain fell upstream. We are now having record floods in the Ozarks.
My place sits on a bluff bank about 50 feet above the Current River. The river usually runs between 3 and 4 feet. The highest the river was ever recorded in this area was just under 30 feet. We exceeded that but I don’t know what the official figure was.
I do know that much of the nearest town is under water. I also heard on the radio that many other river towns in this part of the Ozarks are flooded.
It seems that they cannot promptly repair the communications problems for one reason or another. I will attempt to contact them if I can got out of here tomorrow (May 2nd) and get to a place that has cell phone reception.
This storm was quite an event. I knew we were in for some flooding after the lighting and thunder continued for the entire first night. We had a small break during the next day but then it continued over a second night. The Internet was the first to go out and then later the cell phone. On April 30th the power went out for 10 hours and as I write this the water is out.
The river put on a spectacle. Trees were floating down the river taking out other trees. I think about a third of all the trees in the flood plain were taken out. The battle between floating logs and live trees got pretty noisy. Some cracks were as loud as gunshots. I thought I saw a camper floating out of a nearby campground but by the time I got my binoculars it had floated out of my sight. There were helicopters flying up and down the river the last two days. They probably are taking flood pictures and giving VIP’s a view of the flood damage.
There is nothing like a real event to drive home the point that you are unprepared for any long-term power outage. Our water comes from a water tower. If pumps are not pumping water up to the tower, we are not going to have water for long. I was aware if this, but I figured I could get water from the river if I had to. That is easier said than done. Walking up a steep muddy hill carrying water is something you would only want to do if you are crazy.
At my old place I had a drilled well with a generator attached for backup. There is no well here but getting a generator might be a good idea for other reasons. After the power was out for more than a few hours I started worrying about all the meat in our freezers. With a generator you can keep the meat frozen for a while.
Drilling a well does not seem practical, but I do wonder if a driven hand well could be put in here. I am 50 feet above a river so I would not have to go too far down for water. The problem here is that the bluff is mostly rock. I guess some rain barrels or tanks to store water might be an alternative solution.
Until the Internet or the cell phone comes back on, communications will be difficult or impossible. I do not even know if the local McDonald’s internet is up. I obviously will not be available to reply to comments and emails on any timely basis. I guess you guys will have to fill any gap.
More rain is in the forecast for May 3rd. I hope it is not more than the 2 or 3 inches that is in the forecast. Even that amount will keep the river near flood stage. 
Hi Don,
Glad to see you are all right and able to get back online. Our Ozark neighbor emailed us about the flood. There is a photo on the online Ozark County Times of the water pouring over the road at Hodgson Mill.
http://www.ozarkcountytimes.com/image_c6ced778-2aac-11e7-8263-9322c888aaea.html
I am wondering how our place faired as we are not too far above a creek, but our watershed is small and our pasture is wide. I know what you mean about rock. Our drilled well went 300 feet through solid limestone! Looks like you will have a lot of work ahead of you for the next few weeks. Good luck with that. Was your wife able to get to work?
Don, glad to hear you’re ok. Hopefully there won’t be much more rain and the river will crest.
Glad your alright Don didn’t want to have to send flowers. Praise the Lord.
Don: I’ve been praying for all the folks caught up in this weather. Good to hear you are persevering.
I went thru Katrina in New Orleans in 2005. NO POWER for 3.5 MONTHS. And I lived Uptown close to the private universities. ENTERGY is a dreadful power company. The Red Cross, FEMA, National Guard & various Christian organizations were wonderful over the first year. Certainly appreciate God working in our lives thru people.
There are solar units for charging phones & laptops that can be purchased at some of the mountaineering type shops. One of the online shops as the word ZERO in it.
I’ve forgotten the name. I’ll get back to you.
Shalom .
Type in backpacking phone chargers…..
GOAL ZERO. or
REI CO-OP. These people have excellent info with extra info you’ll appreciate.
You might consider assembling a faraday unit to store things during an EMP event!
Be WELL!
I don’t think I could live in the Ozarks anyway, but after hearing that massive flooding can be a reality, I’m definitely glad I live somewhere where they only thing I worry bout is a few inches of snow! Glad to hear you are ok Don.
thats crazy, hope u get ur internet back soon
We’ve had a lot of rain in Lake County Illinois but nothing near what the Ozarks are getting. I’ve gone without power for 7 days before which is extremely long for my area. Slept in basement where it was cooler, didn’t open freezer much and eventually stored necessities in coolers with ice. We always have a stockpile of water, can/packaged goods, toilet paper, enough for a few weeks. I hope the rain dissipates and that you can get back to normal soon Don. Never looks bad on TV until you have to go through it yourself and then plan for future catastrophes. Good luck to you & your wife and that the Lord watches over the 2 of you and your property.
Thanking God our prayers were answered well. I knew Don lived on a bluff but was thinking mudslide since I don’t know the topography there.
I was without power for four days once because of an ice storm. I really am dependent on indoor plumbing, lol.
Wife in California. Rolled car today over 100 miles from where I live. Someone will pick me up tomorrow. Now in motel with only cell phone. Everything sill out at the house
It got pretty close today with the rollover. Vechile is totaled
Not going to do me any good without cell service
Will pray for you and your wife.
Have to save cell phone battery so that will be it for a while
Don: There’s an outdoor/hiking place nearby. I could check out the solar chargers.
If you have a PO Box or the motel’s address, I could send it. Don’t worry about the money. Just help you to get back into communication again!
“We can do ALL THINGS thorough CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS US” PHILIPPIANS
BE WELL!
You have got to be kidding Don! When things happen they all come at once. Glad you are OK, the car can be replaced. I’ll bet you are going to have a stiff drink or two tonight. Will keep you in prayer.
Thanks don’t need it. What I need is cell phone and internet service
Robert, I am in a motel and am on the forth 16 oz beer.
Yes Don let us know if you need anything and where to send it. Money gram whatever. Blessings.
we got ur back don im ready to send donation
Yes…let me know if I can help.
Don I hope all works out and stay safe
Still no Internet.
Brother Don, I am lifting you and your family up as well and will be happy to contribute to your needs, in Christ.
Bro Don,
Will pray for you and your wife, God will watch over you in coming in and going out. God will lead and guide you in every situation.
Hi All,
The Internet is still out here. I am posting this from a McDonalds. There must have been major damage to Centurylink equipment because of the flood.
I totaled one of my vehicles a few days ago. It was raining and the vehicle went into a skid and then headed directly into the road cut and overturned. I am okay. That Ford Explorer has always acted unstable. Not long ago a wheel fell off and It went off the road and crashed into a tree. I was not going fast so the vehicle was still driveable. A month or two later the other wheel fell off. Luckily I was about stopped at the time. Now this. I probably am fortunate to get rid of it. I think the vehicle was trying to kill me. It had 195,000 miles on it so was worth nothing. I am now driving my 93 Dakota truck and my wife has her vehicle. I will be looking for something more reliable in the weeks ahead.
Thanks for the offers of support but I do not have financial needs.
My concern, Don, is for your darling dogs…..hopefully they are faring well, too.
Hi Margery,
The dogs are doing fine. They live outdoors. They had to spend 36 hours alone but there was enough food around. My wife was in California at the time attending a memorial for her father. Had I been injured it would have been quite an ordeal for her.
Don ,
Glad to hear you , your wife , and your dogs are OK , Stay Safe . Are the flood waters going down as more rain may be headed your way this week .
Good to hear from you again, Don. Do you have electrical power at the house, or is it just the Internet that’s down? Hmmm. Maybe God was telling you that it was time to buy a newer vehicle? Glad no one was hurt and the dogs are doing okay. Did your house stay dry?
Power is on and have water. There is no danger of flood to our house. Centurylink now says Friday on the Internet.
Good that you are OK and back on the job Don….
Glad you are ok Don
Not really back on the job. The McDonald’s within fifty miles are about useless for Internet and my cell phone don’t have the bandwidth for much.
Wow, what an ordeal. I somehow missed this post till tonight. Glad you survived the roll over. And ya, sure did sound like that vehicle was out to get ya! Ironically, I had a similar experience two cars back. People kept running into me. The one that totalled it, was a road rage incident, the guy came screaming by me at over a hundred mph, laying on horn the whole time, clipped my front-end and spun me out, into the freeway wall at about 65 mph almost head on, then rebounded back across three lane’s, and got hit two more times by other cars who thought they could squeeze by my out of control car.
HI people,
My internet is still down. I drove by the local CentryLink facilities yesterday. It was obvious that their whole complex was under about ten feet of water. It could be awhile. Meanwhile I do most of my Internet at a McDonald’s 50 miles away. The more local Mcdonalds are not functioning either. I will be working on a new book review this week.