More than one of my readers has asked if I live near the potential flooding from the Oroville Dam spillway failure here in Northern California. [Update: Here is a place you can see videos of the scary action http://kron4.com/] I do not. But when I was a babe-in-arms my family lived in the county just south, and I started this post thinking I would paste in a photo — which I can’t find after all — of my mother cradling her swaddled first child as she stands in front of our house in water up to her hips.
It wasn’t the last time my poor parents had to deal with floodwaters and babies at the same time, living as they did in farmland fed by various rivers that had not yet been dammed or hedged out with levees. I’m thankful to say that as an adult, the floods I have known have not caused any personal property damage or even much inconvenience.
May the Lord have mercy!
Gladsome Lights 
We are blessed not to live too close to the Oroville Dam, but we know some who have been evacuated as recently as yesterday. Our Shasta Dam is quite full too. They have been letting out as much water as possible. In the 30 years we have lived here, there has never been this much water in the dams. Please pray for those who live in the Orovile, Marysville, Yuba City area as last I heard 130,00 people had been evacuated due to the water situation.
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Yes, Lord have mercy. I feel for the families with infants and children and for the elderly and sick who had to evacuate. I hear 99 was gridlock last night. Yesterday evening, P was called to his unit to mobilize, in anticipation of the dam breaking, right after returning home from three days of unrelated training. His unit disbanded this morning since the dam was able to hold. Hopefully with rain expected this Thurs, the fortification efforts will prove effective!
The photograph of your mother holding the baby while standing in flood waters is not easily forgotten.
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What a terrifying thought! I’m glad you’re not impacted, but very sorry for those who are.
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I’ve wondered about your safety today, GJ and am glad to hear that you are in a good location and not in danger. It puzzled me that they’ve had so much rain in N. California to cause this problem. I thought it was dry there and prone to drought.
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I got my answer didn’t I? I am so glad you are not near there. I have friends who are and I am thankful they are fine. I can’t even remember when we got this much rain. Maybe when I was 9 or so. Have a nice evening.
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I’m glad you are all right – your parents must have been very hardy – what a series of trials it must have been to live and farm in a floodplain! Lord have mercy on all in these flooding times!
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Wow! That is frightening. For as much advance as has been made in altering the environment, nature is still more powerful!
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