Living the flood life
Published 7:00 am Saturday, June 24, 2017
Pearl River County is home to a number of flood prone areas, and depending on where homes are in those zones can make for a different experience.
Living in a flood zone can be worrisome, especially when a weather event like Tropical Storm Cindy comes ashore in the Gulf Coast.
Many areas along the six coastal counties are currently dealing with the effects of rain the storm brought.
Thursday evening, I watched a news broadcast that took a different approach to reporting on flooding.
Typically when we see news about water inundating a residential area, people express concern for their home and other property.
These occupants typically live in homes that are not raised.
After a major flood these people have to conduct expensive repairs to the interior of their home.
All they can do is roll up their sleeves and work to bring things back to normal.
But the news piece I saw instead showed a lighter side to people who live in areas prone to flooding where the homes are raised.
Instead of being concerned about the interior of their home they happily use boats or vehicles with lift kits to travel the streets, taking the event in stride.
Since these are raised, the only concern is to protect items underneath the home from water damage.
From a personal point of view, it’s a chore to have to move the lawnmower, weedeater, chainsaw and other items that would be damaged by floodwaters.
But it’s much better than having to buy those things again.
While there are preparations to make, I look at living in the flood plains of a major creek as an adventure.
When the water comes up high enough, getting to the house from the road is an experience not everyone gets.
Admittedly, it’s not the kind of place I would want to spend my golden years.