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Emergency! Head for Higher Ground — Now!

1/12/2017

21 Comments

 
​“I got out of bed in the middle of the night,” my sister Kate recalls. “And stepped into a pool of water.”
 
She tried to wake her husband, but he just mumbled in his sleep, “Put a towel on it.”
 
“I don’t think that’s going to do it, honey. The entire house is flooded.”
 
That was in 2005, during one of the legendary inundations that sweep through San Anselmo, California every twenty years or so. The little creek meandering through town is normally well-behaved and only shin deep. But every once in a while, when weeks of rain saturate the earth, and there’s a heavy downpour, and an incoming tide pushes back from San Francisco Bay, the creek turns into a monster, jumps its banks, and floods the town. The 2005 flood caused nearly $100 million in damages, not counting the toys and sneakers that got soaked in my sister’s hallway.
​

​Before Rich and I bought our cottage in downtown San Anselmo, Kate warned us it was right in the flood zone. But I refused to worry about it; after all, the next inundation wasn’t due until 2025. The township has spent decades arguing about how to solve the problem, and in the meantime they’ve installed an extremely loud flood-warning horn. This gets tested every Friday at noon, startling visitors and sending dogs and babies into fits.

San Anselmo Flood 2017 / Flood Horn Warning Sign / Karen McCan / enjoylivingabroad.com

​I’d never heard the flood horn sounded in earnest until the evening of December 20, when Rich and I were getting ready to go out to dinner. Looking out, we didn’t see any floodwaters coming up the street, so I set a land speed record for washing and blow drying my hair, flung on some clothes, and off we dashed. Luckily, it turned out to be a false alarm.
 
Last Saturday, weather experts warned us to brace ourselves for major flooding during the night. The neighborhood sprang into action, covering doorways with gates and tarps. Although our house is three feet above ground, there was still a chance that floodwaters could rise high enough to come inside, so Rich and I rolled up rugs and carried smaller furniture upstairs to safety. We packed go-bags with a few necessities — Kindles, chocolate, slippers — and kept boots by the door. We were ready! 


​Meanwhile, some residents apparently thought it was time to appeal to a Higher Power, so they went to our park and placed flowers before the statues of Yoda and Indiana Jones (donated to the town by our most famous resident, filmmaker George Lucas). I’m not saying that’s what did the trick, but once again we made it through the night soggy but unscathed. 

San Anselmo Flood 2017 / Yoda & Indiana Jones / Karen McCan / enjoylivingabroad.com

​By Monday afternoon Rich was ready to put the house back in order.
 
“You don’t think that’ll be jinxing it?” I asked.
 
“Oh, hell no.” We reinstalled the rugs and furniture, and unpacked the go-bags.

You can guess what happened next. I’m not saying we caused it, I’m just saying that on Tuesday the rain became a deluge. Rich spent the afternoon bent over his iPhone checking the creek level; when it rose two feet in 45 minutes, I knew we were in trouble. Then it went up another foot, and at 6:39 PM the San Anselmo flood horn went off, the Ross Valley siren sounded, and our iPhones began shrieking with an emergency message.
 
“I think they’re trying to tell us something,” said Rich. “Maybe we’d better get the car to higher ground.”
 
“Maybe we’d better get ourselves to higher ground,” I said, jamming my feet into rubber boots.  
 
San Anselmo Flood 2017 / Don't Drown Sign / Karen McCan / enjoylivingabroad.com
As we fled, we discovered town officials had placed this sign at the end of our street. Good advice!

​We ran out to our VW and drove up the hill behind our house. Whew! Then we realized we were trapped in the labyrinthine hills with no way out except back down through the flood area. We could spend the night in our car or . . .
 
“Let’s make a run for it,” said Rich.
 
As he drove back toward the main street, water was gushing out of storm drains and manholes, gutters were overflowing, and low-lying intersections had turned into ponds. But the water hadn’t gotten very deep, so Rich carefully maneuvered the car through the worst bits and we sped out of town.

San Anselmo Flood 2017 / Flooded street corner / Karen McCan / enjoylivingabroad.com

​“Well, that was fun,” I said. “Fancy a glass of wine?”
 
At the first eatery beyond the danger zone, we made a beeline to the bar. Hmmm, I thought. What wine do you pair with a flood? Maybe a light, crisp chardonnay . . . As the level in the wine bottle subsided so did the creek, and within a few hours the worst was over. By nine it was safe to head home. There was still minor flooding, but nothing like what happened in 2005.
 
We awoke the next morning to blue skies and sunshine.

San Anselmo Flood 2017 / The Morning After / Karen McCan / enjoylivingabroad.com

There is nothing quite like the joy of a narrow escape. But that same morning I experienced something that came pretty close. The doorbell rang, and there stood a courier with a package from Spain.
 
“Hallelujah!” I shouted. “My new passport!”
 
This had been delayed, and I was a trifle concerned it would arrive too late for next week’s planned departure from California. Not that it hasn’t been fun here, but after the earthquake, power outages, furnace failures, and flood evacuations, I am ready for Seville and some long, leisurely Spanish siestas.

San Anselmo Flood 2017 / Biometric Passport / Karen McCan / enjoylivingabroad.com
Rich showered the passport with confetti on its arrival. Note the lovely sunlight! Also note that little symbol at the bottom of the front cover, which indicates it is one of the new, biometric passports.

​Tonight Rich and I are celebrating our double good fortune. After that, I just might bring flowers to Yoda and Indy. It hasn't escaped my notice that since they arrived on the scene, we haven't had a full-scale inundation in this town. The workings of fate are way above my pay grade, of course, but on the off chance they are bringing us luck, I want to let them know it’s greatly appreciated. 
​
I'm taking a short break while I travel back to Seville, so I won't be posting on this blog next week.
RICH SPEAKS OUT ON NORMALITY & DUCT TAPE
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21 Comments
Erica Manfred link
1/12/2017 05:11:58 pm

I thought you lived in Seville--at least that's what you told me when I interviewed you in 2015 for an Aging Out of Place for Senior Planet article. When did you move to California? The article was based on your being a full time resident of Seville.

Reply
Karen McCann
1/12/2017 06:26:16 pm

Seville is my principal residence, Erica, but as I mentioned at the time you interviewed me, we maintain a home in California and visit regularly. This has been a particularly difficult year in the family, and Rich and I have needed to spend more than our usual time in California to rally around. We are scheduled to return to Seville next week and are looking forward to resuming our lives there.

Reply
Juanita Fields
1/12/2017 06:32:58 pm

I will be very curious to read her reply.

So many bloggers out there have to do what they can these days to "market themselves". This one seems quite good at it.

Reply
Sue Sharpe
1/12/2017 05:26:42 pm

So glad the flooding wasn't too bad!
Love that there are a Yoda & Indy statues!
Happy that your passport (finally) arrived!
Enjoy Sevilla
x

Reply
Karen McCann
1/12/2017 06:27:27 pm

Thanks, Sue! It's great to have some good news to report on all fronts. And yes, the Yoda and Indy statues are wonderful. People come from all over to visit them, often attired in costumes. Great fun.

Reply
Jackie Smith link
1/12/2017 05:57:00 pm

I love a story with a happy ending! Safe travels back to Spain!

Reply
Karen McCann
1/12/2017 06:28:29 pm

Thank you, Jackie! I am grateful that things turned out the way they did, and I am SO looking forward to returning to my life in Seville.

Reply
Laurie Rodney
1/12/2017 06:23:15 pm

Leave it to you to make threats of disaster entertaining. I have extreme gratitude that you continue to share your gift. We had five years of drought in CA only to move to Columbia (Cola as the locals call it- I had to explain to a senior applying for college that they cannot put Cola on the appplication) to a record flood in 2015 and hurricane in 2016-- not to mention the extrodinary heat of summers here. We are thinking of spending summers in Cleveland playing with grandkids there and perhaps learning a bit of Arabic from my son. . . This season is apparently the change season as it is 35 one day and 70 the next. I am so learning to be comfortable with uncertainty (yes Pema Chodron wrote that book already.

Reply
Karen McCann
1/13/2017 04:41:49 pm

Cola sounds like a pretty wild ride, Laurie. When you find Cleveland summers — which I remember as very hot, humid, and buggy — as the preferable option, I can only assume Cola is off the charts. But I am sure you are equal to the challenges. Good luck, and stay safe!

Reply
Janice Lyon
1/12/2017 06:24:51 pm

We enjoy your blog very much! We're planning a trip to Spain this spring and using many of your recommendations.
Today's missive was so excellent! Your sense of humor and fun, even during a flood, is to be admired. We are independent travelers and are inspired by your attitude and sense of adventure!

Reply
Karen McCann
1/13/2017 04:45:23 pm

Glad you're enjoying the blog, Janice! It's been pretty wild around here and it's such fun for me to be able to share the stories with everyone so we can all chuckle about it together. Have a wonderful time in Spain this spring; let me know how you like it!

Reply
Lois Boubong
1/12/2017 06:37:05 pm

You two crack me up! Safe travels back to Seville. Keep blogging!

Reply
Karen McCann
1/13/2017 04:47:36 pm

Glad you enjoyed the story of the Great Non-Flood of 2017, Lois. In the end, I suppose I could have called this post "Much Ado About Nothing." Whew! What a crazy time. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

Reply
Sandra
1/12/2017 07:40:06 pm

Erica,

Next time, please refrain from such accusatory tone, as Karen's friend (like most people here) I find your comment selfish, insulting and completely out of place!

Karen, fun post as always.
Looking forward to seeing you in Seville!

Reply
Karen McCann
1/13/2017 04:49:34 pm

Thanks, Sandra; glad you enjoyed the post. I am SO looking forward to getting home to Seville and seeing you all. Besos y un abrazo muy, muy fuerte!

Reply
Susanna Perkins link
1/12/2017 11:09:27 pm

Glad you survived the flood unscathed and with only minor adventures, and congrats on the timely arrival of your passport. I just renewed mine -- figured I'd better do it before all branches of the Federal gov't are thrown into disarray on Jan. 20th. . .

Reply
Karen McCann
1/13/2017 04:51:48 pm

Good thinking on the passport. Considering how this year has started, I am braced for any kind of crazy to occur. Best of luck and stay safe!

Reply
Brian Bermingham link
1/13/2017 12:43:58 am

"The Force is strong in these ones." I'm SURE you did not cause this or any floods. I'm GLAD you escaped with your feet dry. I question the choice of Chardonnay, however. Hot mulled wine would have appealed to me under the circumstances. Maybe a barenblut. Cheers and rainbows!

Reply
Karen McCann
1/13/2017 04:54:43 pm

Thank Yoda things were no worse! OK, I'll grant you the mulled wine might have been a better choice, Brian. I'll remember that for next time. But what is a barenblut??

Reply
Lorraine
1/13/2017 05:43:15 pm

I started reading your blog after a recommendation from my dear friend who is moving to Barcelona for a year--having recently retired. She read your book. When she saw San Anselmo in your blog she got very excited because she has visited me a couple of times in Santa Rosa. However, my son's business is in San Anselmo and she said I should tell you to stop in and visit. It is Routes Gallery on San Anselmo Avenue and Landsdale Station. You can't miss it on you way to Fairfax, or as we like to say, on your way to Good Earth. Some people call it the Buddha shop. He is right on the San Anselmo Creek, but fortunately, high enough so he has escaped flooding. My friend said she thought you would appreciate the gallery because of your travels.

I appreciated your flood story. My daughter was living in Fairfax at the time and the same thing happened to her. Got out of bed and stepped in water and thought the toilet had flooded. Her apartment was flooded and she lost her car due to flooding.

Safe travels. If you don't make it to Routes Gallery before you leave, stop in this summer when you return or the next time you are in San Anselmo.

Reply
Karen McCann
1/14/2017 04:22:14 pm

Of course I know Routes Gallery. We bought a charming little buddha statue there; it watches over our garden gate. And my yoga studio bought a charming lifesize buddha there last year. A wonderful shop! Glad Routes weathered the storm without incident. I know Fairfax and Ross suffered too; the price we all pay for living near a charming little stream and a great big bay. Good to hear from you, Lorraine, and I hope your friend is enjoying living in Barcelona.

Reply



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