Thursday, December 31, 2015

Lookie Lous

Click on the picture, taken this morning, for a bigger, better view.

Highway FF at Labarque Creek
I learned we're called "high-grounders," meaning that while our houses and businesses aren't flooded like downtown Eureka's and downtown Pacific, we're trapped on our high ground by flooded roads all around us. Forget Highway FF (pictured at left). Forget Highways F, W, O, MM, 109, 30, I-44, 141, or Business Loop 44; several square miles of our population simply can't get out.

So on this third day of staying home making the best of enforced vacation, quite a few of us high-grounders decided to take the kids to the barricades and see the disaster with our own eyes, or enjoy a walk down the car-less highways, or a hike at the high-ground conservation areas. I hiked one mile into the Glassberg Conservation Area to its overlook platform with its gorgeous vista of the Meramec Valley, facing toward Pacific. Spectacular flooding, and a view no TV crew can get at. Then I drove about 2 more miles to Highway FF's low point where the LaBarque meets the Meramec. I parked and took photos along with other disaster paparazzi, aka "lookie lous," all taking phone photos on our side of the highway and theirs. The twain shall meet when the water recedes, they say, about January 3. Regarding our Pacific and Eureka post offices (Eureka's P.O. moved to Ballwin), our bank, hardware stores, favorite restaurants and pubs, and gas stations that are still underwater -- how damaged they are and if they'll rebuild, we will have to see.

The Big River, which floods the Byrnesville Road toward House Springs, crested early this morning, and we might be able to get out that way in a day or so, but I want to be sure before driving there; my car is very low on gasoline. I'm sure there's some high-grounders low on insulin or something else crucial, but my neighbor and I are warm, dry, and safe. And what a blessing.

Happy New Year!

1 comment:

BowlingTrophyWife said...

Thank God you're okay - I've been following several FB pages and blogs on the flooding and I'm dumbfounded. I can only imagine what the view from my parent's old home must have been - overlooking the valley through which Highway W runs, alongside Big River - from the old Byrnes Mill site at Naragansset/Byrnes Mill, through Rockford Beach, through Hoene Springs. Every few years, there would be flooding resulting in a lake in the middle of the valley. Occasionally W would close at the Twin Rivers Bridge but this sounds more than epic. I can only imagine the mess at the trailer park on Byrnes Mill. My thoughts are with you all on the 'high ground' Hugs.