Given my recent string of bad luck...

[PaulSage]

Who wants to bet my new house is flooded?

http://www.dentonrc.com/video/index.html?nvid=138911

If I remember correctly, my house is about a mile or two from the C.O.C. ...downhill of course.

Here's a news article about a town about halfway between Kelli's house and mine.

Two dead in North Texas flooding

2:37 p.m. ET 6/18/2007
The Associated Press
# Video: Town traumatized
# Forecast: More rain for the area?
# Map: At least five counties affected

HALTOM CITY, Texas (AP) -- Torrential overnight rainfall flooded a handful of North Texas towns Monday, killing two people and stranding people and their pets on the roofs of their homes awaiting rescue.

Creeks swollen by as much as 8 inches of rain inundated parts of the towns of Gainesville and Sherman near the Oklahoma state line.

A 4-year-old girl, Alexandria Collins, died after she was swept away by rushing water in Halom City, a Fort Worth suburb. Her body was found more than two hours later.

"We were in the boat when the boat capsized," her mother, Natasha Collins, tearfully told KXAS-TV of Dallas. "The current swept her from my arms."

But firefighters said the girl was already missing by the time they pulled her mother onto a boat.

A woman died in Sherman, about 60 miles northwest of Dallas near the Oklahoma state line, after her car stalled in rising water and was swept away, Sherman police Sgt. Bruce Dawsey said. A firefighter was struck by lightning but went back to work helping with rescues, he said.

About 125 residents of a Sherman nursing home were being evacuated, and an unknown number of people were being rescued from an office building where the roof started caving in, Dawsey said.

In Gainesville, aerial video showed dozens of people seeking refuge from the high water on a railroad crossing. Families awaited rescue on their roofs, some having hacked their way to the outside from their attics. Some were joined by their dogs.

Water had receded from parts of downtown Gainesville by midday.

About 100 mobile homes in Haltom City were inundated and many were washed off their foundations, emergency officials said.

"When I looked out the window, water was up to the bottom of the window and the current was so fast houses were washing away, said Haltom City resident Rachel Hawkes. "You could hear people screaming but we couldn't get out to help."

About 37,000 people live in Sherman and about 16,500 in Gainesville.

Authorities closed Interstate 35 from Gainesville to the Oklahoma state line for several hours, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. Some other roads in the region also were closed by high water.

The National Weather Service said rain fell at a rate of an inch every 15 minutes in some places early Monday.

"We get heavy rains in North Texas, but the rate, the amount, the duration and the coverage of this are just amazing," said Gary Woodall, the warning-coordination meteorologist for the weather service office in Fort Worth.

The weather service forecast a chance of isolated thunderstorms in the area Monday and Tuesday but said overall the weather was expected to improve.

I don't really remember what the terrain around my house/yard is like, but I'm pretty sure it's flat as a board. What I do remember is that the last time I was there, it rained heavily and water was coming in the front door onto the tile (right next to the new wood floor in the office )

To top things off, I found two dead babies today. These are the first two thermostat victims that have died without being euthanized. Also, not a single egg has hatched from either male incubator since the puddle incident. It could just be coincidence, but I'm usually pulling 2-4 babies out of there each day.

Given recent events, my new address may very well be that of a mental institution. I hope they have internet access in the padded rooms.

 

[PaulSage]

I've tried calling my backyard neighbor's house three times in the last hour. The phone just rings and rings. I didn't even get their answering machine.

 

[PaulSage]

I would leave tonight after catching up on gecko chores (I fell a little behind with installing new thermostats and stuff) but I haven't loaded the trailer yet and my mom's truck is still in the shop after I broke it.

 

[Mel&Keith]

Wow, I hope everything's ok at your new place. Keep us posted.

 

[nwheat]

Yikes, Paul! I hope your house is dry!

Sorry to hear about the babies, too.

 

[Grinning Geckos]

Paul, my parents might be able to swing by and check out the area. I can talk to them tomorrow if you're interested.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Shit! All I can say is SHIT!!! God, I hope everything is OK, Paul. It just HAS to be OK.

 

[Jeremy Letkey]

You could also contact the local police. They should be able to tell you of areas in their district that were affected.

I really hope that all is dry in Texas. Fingers crossed.

 

[PaulSage]

Thanks for offering, Shanti. Kelli offered to stop over there as well (thanks again, Kelli!) but I really don't think it's necessary. I forgot to leave a key with Kelli and by now you might not be able to tell if any water had gotten in the house anyway. I can wait for the good news or the bad news until the next time I get down there, which will hopefully be this weekend. It currently looks like I might be flying solo though... I dunno.

Jeremy, that's a good idea I hadn't thought of; calling the police. I'm gonna try the neighbor again tomorrow and if I don't get a hold of him I'll try the 5-O.

I guess if floods are common in the area, it's good that the geckos will be on 2nd floor. Plus, now I know what to put in the barn besides my tools--a boat. heh No, seriously. I bet I could fit something in there.

Well now that I hear birds singing I think it's time to go to bed. I just finished putting away and labeling baby leo number 525. There are still 7-8 in the incubator, and I am officially out of rack space. This is definitely going to be an interesting week.

 

[nwheat]

Holy crap - 525?! I guess you really did need to assemble those new racks before moving!!

I hope everything is dry!