Officially it is hurricane season and that has also an impact on part of the United States. Living in the south east of the USA is great, related to the climate but sometimes we do pay a high price for sunny weather as things tend to go wrong. Tropical storms, disturbances and heavy thunderstorms with buckets of rain are a high price we often pay.
On Sunday afternoon of August 18, we were making the rounds over our estate and we first hand could see the damage that was caused by a severe thunderstorm on Wednesday, August 14, with a tremendous downpour that caused flooding.
You can see that lots of soil got washed out from underneath the bridge's ramp... gone!
The wooden bridge got beaten up too and lots of debris laying around everywhere.
That's the last of our three bridges and that too got beaten up and lots of soil washed out from underneath its ramp.
But what can we do?
You see that white chevron, it is pointing towards debris, leaves and such that left a trail from where the flood line was on Wednesday, August 14.
Our Spunky girl is even impressed and looking at it... seen center right.
In the far distance comes our Smokey boy; they join us for the usual 'cat walk'.
When we had gone inside on Sunday, August 18, for having our tea, another heavy thunderstorm came up suddenly and we had a tremendous downpour. This is ONLY 5 hours later!
We were quite shocked and worried about our bridges, our trees, shrubs and plants...
Tropical weather like that is so harsh on the elements!
Murky water comes roaring down.
Our Spunky girl usually stays in our wood garden; that's her domain but now I worry as she cannot cross the bridges or she might get swept away. This is AFTER the rain and of course most of the racing water had already passed and is now receding rapidly.
Such a sad sight...
This also leaves behind a very thick and stinky mud.
And this we watched now week after week, for nearly three months in a row... Our kind of summer for 2013.
All the hard work, all the woodwork, the painting and treating of the bridge with wood preservative.
Husband Pieter did just finish this bridge on August 1, and it has been under water numerous times since.
Just sad... Look at this little lake!
Foaming water that keeps racing down hill...
Just hoping for the best...
Water from the creek comes running down from across the road as well...
The flooding across the road, alongside the creek is even worse...
Look how much creek water is still running over the road, not being able to pass through the huge pipe, underneath the asphalt. That pipe is not wide enough to handle all the excess water in the creek, which accumulates fast from higher areas.
In the distance you see our white picket fence. Behind me to the right is still part of our wood garden, a total length of 200 meter we got alongside the road.
This I zoomed in from our bedroom window...
WHEN will this wet monsoon finally leave us?
Short video from July 10, when it started: Rainy Day in Georgia – iPhone upload ←click it.
The above give you at least an idea how that looks like...
A constant battle and HARD WORK!
Sure, in July Georgia Magazine did warn for getting prepared: It's hurricane season.
Bringing the risk of storm surges, high winds, tornadoes and inland flooding across Georgia...
Finally we had two SUNNY days now after 11 days of rain, as much as 12.49 inch or 31.7 cm.
Unreal amount of water...
{Our Wooden Balusters Repurposed} | previous post by me
{Our Damage from Tornado spin off of Hurricane Earl, 2003} | previous post by me with severe damage to our bridges
{Our Damage from Tornado spin off of Hurricane Earl, 2003} | previous post by me with severe damage to our bridges
i am envious of that heavy rain run-off and i know you are tired of it. our pond needs so much and you have too much. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteDearest Theresa,
DeleteOh we would LOVE to share with you! But we got now 3 days of sunshine and it is drying out so far...
Hugs,
Mariette
Some times we have a flood and some times a drought. Seeing plant die in a drought is terrable when you are not allowed to water. Ever bit of water is carted from the shower, washing machine, and sink in the kitchen, it still isn't enough to keep the plants alive.
ReplyDeleteI feel for you having to clean up. At least your plants will grow.
I'm praying for sunny weather for you.
Hugs
Dearest Kay,
DeleteOh, in 2011 we lost so many trees, shrubs, plants and all of our roses because of a severe drought. Now we lost several due to flooding and to way too much rain. I know how you in Australia have to manage the water, even from the washing machine, catching the rinse water for recycling. It is hard for making do when there is not enough.
Life goes on and so far we had now three sunny days that can dry out the area.
Hugs,
Mariette
hope you are done with the rain for a while. It's sad to see the hard work being ruined. Let's hope the sunshine keeps shining
ReplyDeleteDearest Daniela,
DeleteThat's what we hope and pray for indeed!
We did have three lovely days so far and now it can slowly dry out.
Hugs,
Mariette
Deaerst Mariette,
ReplyDeletethis does not look like a nice summer , so much rain, so mauch damage....so sad!... glad you have better and calmer waether now and I hope this was all the rain for a long time!
Sending Love and hugs
Claudia
Dearest Claudia,
DeleteNo this for sure was not a real summer... But we're hoping for the best and so far we had 3 lovely days with sunshine and no rain. Maybe we can finally dry out and enjoy some normal times again.
Hugs,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeletedas Leben ist rund und bunt.
Sonnige Grüße
Elisabeth
Liebe Elisabeth,
DeleteJa und auf und ab...
Lieber Gruß,
Mariette
Dear Mariette,
ReplyDeleteprovided that you live in a wonderful place, so
in the countryside, my dream, I'm sorry to see
much work went up in smoke, your beautiful bridges damaged,
it is a shame! But even here in Italy happen the ugly
storms lately, almost typhoon, said the fault of man
last night on the news ......
We hope that the sun will dry it well your beautiful land.
a hug
Susy Love x
Dearest Susy,
DeleteWe have had now 3 sunny days for drying it out and we pray it will stay at least a week so we get rid of our mud.
Nature can be harsh at times, all over the world. There is very little we can do about it.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dear Mariette,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for all the flooding and the damage, it must be so heartbreaking to see your beautiful landscape turn into a flood zone. So sad about the bridges - I hope you will have a mild storm season and by next summer this will all be a distant memory. I am sure Pieter's hard work will pay off in sturdy bridges that survive the flood. Thank goodness you are both safe. Hugs, xoxo
Dearest Karen,
DeleteWell, we have lived in a kind of daze for the past months. Just putting our brain on zero and wait... Hoping for the best. Would you believe that finally this morning the painters could paint our balusters and rails? Pieter did put them up on August 5 but we got so much rain since than. They still need their final coating but I'm really looking forward to finishing our balcony 'finally'.
Yes both of us are safe and the bridges can be repaired. We will have to; no choice.
Hugs,
Mariette
Wow! Incredible pictures!
ReplyDeleteYeah, but with the wrong subject...!
DeleteHello Marietta, I know that is is difficult, inconvenient, expensive and even dangerous to deal with all that rain, but from this distance, I can see considerable beauty as well as drama in your photos. After such storms, there can be a revitalizing freshness in the air, and I would love to go for a hike in your area.
ReplyDeleteI just returned to Taiwan in the middle of a cluster of typhoons--driving rain and wind every day, and the lid of my new washing machine (of course kept on the balcony in Asia) was torn from its hinges.
I hope that the rainy season ends soon for you, and you can start enjoying your yard again.
--Jim
Dearest Jim,
DeleteSure it does have many sights. We were comparing the annual rainfall for Java, Indonesia where we lived. It is about 2,000 mm annually and very similar to Taiwan. Here in Georgia 1,200 mm annually and in The Netherlands from my region in the south east (which is the driest area of the country) 700 mm annually but they have a kind of wet drizzle all year round in a way. They don't know those tropical downpours that you live through right now.
So sorry for your new washing machine's lid... Hope you can still replace it.
Coping with severe climatic conditions can become a challenge in many areas.
So far it looks promising that we will dry out. Hope the sunshine stays with us this time.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dat ziet er erg dramatisch uit, wat jammer voor al het werk dat je eraan hebt gedaan. Je vraagt je af waar al die regen vandaan komt en wanneer het eens ophoudt. Het is om depressief van te worden. Gelukkig is je huis niet beschadigd.
ReplyDeleteWens je veel sterkte met de rommel en hoop dat je kat weer terug komt.
Groeten, Marianne
Beste Marianne,
DeleteJa, het ziet er inderdaad dramatisch uit, je zou het geluid van al dat water en ook van de tropische regen moeten kunnen horen! Je laat het maar over je heen komen maar inderdaad, als al je plannen in het water vallen voor maanden, word je er wat depressief van. Ons huis ligt hoog maar toch komt er véél water van hoger gelegen gebieden dat nog door de fundering heen weet te dringen. Water is sterk, het zoekt zijn weg...
Maar geen schade, enkel veel werk en beroofd van slaap uren.
We hebben onze Spunky-girl al die tijd bínnen gehouden hoor. Téveel risiko om haar het bos in te laten gaan met zó'n wild water ertussen!
Nu is ze weer buiten, het gevaar is geweken voor het moment.
Liefs,
Mariette
è impressionante!!!!!! un vero disastro!!!!! ti abbraccio forte forte Lory
ReplyDeleteCara Lory,
DeleteSì, il nostro incantevole piccolo ruscello sembrava impressionante come un fiume vorticoso. Ma siamo tutti incolumi, noi e le sette gatti. De esterno molti fango e all'interno di molti rastrellamento ma anche con pavimento piastrellato; nessun danno. Solo un sacco di lavoro e la mancanza di sonno!
Baci,
Mariette
Dear Mariette,
ReplyDeleteOh my how awful the weather has been there for you and all the effects from the storm and rain.
Hope that better weather is ahead for you and everything can dry out so you can clean up.
Enjoy the rest of the week
Hugs
Carolyn
Dearest Carolyn,
DeleteIt starts looking very promising for the coming time. We had no rain in four days so that is a blessing! Such weather we really do enjoy!
Hugs,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeletees sind fürchterliche Bilder von den Regenfällen. Die schönen
Brücken sind alle kaputt. Ich hoffe, dass die Regenfälle jetzt
aufhören. Aber da bleibt viel Arbeit zurück. Das ist so traurig,
wenn man sieht, wie alles, im wahrten Sinn des Wortes, den Bach abgeht.
Einen schönen Mittwoch wünscht dir
Irmi
Liebe Irmi,
DeleteTraurig ist es eben, alle Arbeit um sonst und es war so schön gepflegt. Aber es hätte schlimmer sein können. Wir haben im Haus keinen Schaden, nur Arbeit...
Wir genieẞen einen sonnigen Mittwoch!
Lieber Gruẞ,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteIt's so frustrating to see all your hard work go to waste, especially the pretty bridge that Pieter worked so hard on. I am so glad that you got the roof and painting done when you weren't getting hit by deluges.
Toes crossed for more sunny days ahead and a long, pleasant fall season.
Enjoy the sun........*s*
Dearest Suzi,
DeleteWell, that is life and we just have to suck it up I guess!
Life goes on. The painters started finishing the balcony's balusters and rails. Finally we can complete all that work and are looking forward to some outdoor time with sunshine for tea, and meals!
Hugs,
Mariette
Mariette, your property is lovely, and I know it disheartens you to see your bridges and garden work ravaged by these rushing waters. I hope your kitty is safe. The creek behind our home is totally dry in some areas. We badly need some of the rain you are getting.
ReplyDeleteTake care. ~ Sarah
Dearest Sarah,
DeleteWell, this is certainly not something we wished for but it happened. Wish you would have gotten some of our heavy rains so you could fill up your streams and ground water level. We had that in 2011, the one extreme of severe drought and now the other extreme of severe wet.
All our kitties are safe; we kept our Spunky girl inside so she couldn't cross the bridges into her favorite wood garden and become stuck there.
We all enjoy our sunshine and hope we will dry out finally!
Hugs,
Mariette
I was afraid we might have some bad weather while we were in the States -- especially the New Orleans area since I knew we were there when hurricane season began, but we actually saw very little rain the entire month. Just enough to say we did. It was hard to leave Yusef but this is his time -- another phase of life. Have a great rest of the week. Hugs, Tammy (P.S. Your house looks so lovely -- sorry that the yard is taking such a beating right now but things will dry up soon.)
ReplyDeleteDearest Tammy,
DeleteYou were lucky as it is a dangerous area during hurricane season. Yusef will do fine and as you mention, that's another phase of life. Thanks for the compliment on the house! We're so glad we got that done before the hurricane season did send us these tropical thunderstorms and heavy rains.
We enjoy the sunshine right now!
Hugs,
Mariette
It is sad to see your beautiful bridges under water like that. Spunky girl must be feeling same as she can't cross the bridge :-(
ReplyDeleteThere have been so much rain that there is a pond in the area behind our house. Usually it is dry land but this summer, the pond stayed. Can't believe we had bad drought several years ago!
Dearest Tamago,
DeleteOh it is a dreadful sight... Guess our fur babies do sense this too but we wanted to keep her inside for not taking any risks. She usually walks over the bridges railing and what IF she would try to leap over the last section of water and miss... being swept away by the strong current.
Oh, so many people here had a pond in their lawn or on the land. No sight but it will take quite some time for the water (mud!) to dry out.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette ... what a shock to see this. We have been away visiting my brother and his wife meeting the twins and just getting back to catching up. I was expecting to find some beautiful photos of your gardens (they always bring a warm smile to me). ...instead I see all the horrible things you and dear Pieter have been going through. Heart breaking ... Mr. G is sending his thoughts to you as well. Having bridges and streams through our property we understand first hand how devastating this is. Mother Nature can sure cause concern at times.
ReplyDeleteStay well my friend... sending you hugs and prayers that the water recedes quickly and everything dries well. Hugs and blessings, C. (HHL)
Dearest Celia,
DeleteWell, we got used to this sight over and over. At times I did walk with the flash light in the dark, under the umbrella to listen to the roaring of the wild and wide river-turned creek. Otherwise so romantic and peaceful but not recognizable in the midst of its fury. It usually does recede in hours but with this enormous amount of rain we got really flooded. No fun this summer. BUT we had now 4 days of sunshine and the painters could finally start on our balusters and rails on the balcony. Pieter finished placing them on August 5th... but there was no dry time before now.
Guess the worst is over by now and we look forward to spending some time on the balcony and in the gazebo.
Hugs and thanks to both of you for your love!
Mariette (and Pieter of course!)
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteThe United states living in hurrican seasn living in the south least of usa is graet. releted to the climete but your pay high price sunny weather was go wrong.
August 14, you has teamendous downpowr was causrd frooding.
The wooden bridye got beaton up with lots of debris laying aroud every where.
lots of soil washed out from undernmeath it's ramp you see that white chvion it's pointing toward leaves as loft a trail from whoe the flood line.
After still on the raining with never stoped again yet...I hope the summer coming soon for us BUT your has a winter time...
My golfing was good one was more than two years ago where my remembered one.
I need to working hard to go on my self....
Hugs and your husband best lots of love for ever!
Michiko
Dearest Michiko,
DeleteSo glad that your golfing was good and even better than what you remember from two years ago. Oh, you have done so much since your accident and it's remarkable what you have achieved. It makes me very proud.
Hugs to you and lots of love,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette、
ReplyDeleteOMG; I never thought opening up this sad news after my absence for visiting, my dearest friend!!! I was a bit under the weather for the summer heat and busy days (about you know for whom) not having had much strength to read and write in English. I ADMIRE your power of keep having sense of composure after all of these; you had such a hard experience☆☆☆ Thinking about you and your sweet husband (plus your kitties) as I have no way guessing how you two are feeling now. I hated to see 'Murky Water'; reminded me lots of flooding we had in Japan besides the heat this summer.
Sending you all warmest thoughts from Japan to my dearest friend in America, xoxo Miyako*
Dearest Miyako,
DeleteSure all this rain for the duration of summer has not been fun but it starts looking like we're seeing the end of the tunnel now. For almost 5 days now we have had dry weather and lots of sunshine. That makes us happy! Soon our balcony will be completed when the painters put on another layer. Than hopefully we can start back to normal life. Knowing that we are not alone in this, does help!
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Storms cause so much damage, it is terrible that we can't have rain and storms without and damage
ReplyDeleteDearest Jo-Anne,
DeleteThunderstorms are seldom positive indeed... Just some good soft rain is very rare!
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Dear Mariette,i'm so sad seeing that beautiful wooden bridge under the water!
ReplyDeleteYou realy did'nt had a good summer!Hope now it will be much better!!
Have a lovely day!!Hugs!!
Dimi...
Dearest Dimi,
DeleteWe are hoping for some good weeks in the end of our summer... So far we got about five nice sunny days without rain.
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry about all this damage and your (so far) ruined summer... Floods are really scary and make you feel so helpless... Your lovely romantic white bridge... so sad to see it under water... We occasionally have floods in Northern Italy too, they used to be very rare, but now that climate has gone so crazy allover the globe, they come more often, but more likely in spring or autumn. I do hope you get a dry, sunny end of summer!
Glad to hear you, your husband and the furry babies are all safe.
Sending sunny thoughts your way! Big hugs :)
Dearest Anna,
DeleteWe've had all week sunny days without any rain but the forecast for the coming days is thunderstorms again. Let's hope it will not again be as severe. We want to keep some part of summer and enjoy it!
Hugs,
Mariette
Cara Mariette, non ho parole.....è davvero terribile vedere queste immagini, vedere come tanta fatica e duro lavoro sia andato distrutto. Mi dispiace, mi dispiace veramente. Sai, ultimamente anche qui in Italia i temporali non sono più i nostri temporali, si avvicinano più a tempeste tropicali come il caldo che è diventato davvero impossibile. Temo che la nostra terra ci stia presentando il conto di quanto danno le abbiamo fatto ed ora ne paghiamo un prezzo davvero elevato. Un abbraccio. Paola
ReplyDeleteCara Paola,
DeleteBene, finora abbiamo avuto una bella settimana con sole e senza pioggia. Speriamo e pregariamo che rimarrà in questo modo perché rastrellamento acqua nel seminterrato di giorno e di notte si sta uccidendo... Abbiamo bisogno del nostro sonno di notte! Ieri e oggi i pittori finalmente potevano finire il dipinto sul nostro balcone perché prima era solo bagnato e più pioggia. Siamo molto soddisfatti dei progressi. Oggi Pieter ha pulito il gazebo, il fango è andato... spero che rimane libero di fango per un pò.
Tutti noi stiamo guardando il meteo sopra un tempo di vita, ma il mondo esiste tanto più. Questi estremi sono sempre in giro, ma ora con più densa popolazione esso è tutto amplificato. Una cosa è certa, noi non possiamo pasticciare con madre natura; Lei è più forte di noi umani...
Un abbraccio grande,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette, I had no idea you were having so much excess runoff. I knew it was raining "cats and dogs" but I didn't realize you were having so much. I know you are appreciating the few days of sun. We have had lots of rain but it has been sunny for about four days and some plants are needing water, if you can believe that!! I do hope your pretty bridge is OK. Pieter was so sweet to put in so much work for its preservation.
ReplyDeleteI do hope the pussy willow makes it...so pretty.
Wishing you and Pieter a sunny weekend, Ginger
Dearest Ginger,
ReplyDeleteOh we both knew that we had this excess runoff water; we worked so hard at fighting it... But now we got finally some real summer. An entire week of sunshine and no rain so far!
The weeping pussy willow is already recovering and showing new leaves. Grateful for being rescued out of that stinky and sour mud...
Happy and sunny Labor Day weekend for you and Bob!
Hugs,
Mariette