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March 31, 2010

Hang Tough, Rhode Island

Marc Comtois

As Congressman Kennedy famously said, "WATER...."

I've been lucky enough to still be able to work during the day and save the sloshing and pumping for the evening hours. Our property abuts a little babbling brook that turned into a quick-flowing stream over the last few days and the water went 4-5 ft. higher than usual, closer to the house than ever before. Our almost-always wet basement (it's an old house) is equipped with a sump pump and everything of import stored down there is in bins. Luckily, we haven't had any standing water inside.

But the biggest cause of concern was with our back and side yards, which often serve as a catch-basin for rainwater rolling down the slight slope from road to brook. Our basement sump pump outputs to a dry-well that is submerged by the "new" pond in the side yard. Thus, I hooked up my old pool pump and commenced de-watering operations, which continue off and on as needed. We are holding our own and are thankful that we live along the banks of a little brook and not the Patuxet river.

Our state is going through a time right now. We're aggravated by slow moving government--because it can never move fast enough--but that's what happens when the real object of our anger and frustration--Mother nature--is a nebulous force that won't listen to us anyway. There will be time to learn from and revisit the revelatory lessons of this disaster. Until then, hang tough.

Comments

Had to get from South Kingstown to North Smithfield and did so with no need for Rt 95/295 and with no need for any government official to tell me how to get there.
Amazing huh??
Get ready for the tidal wave of whining from Nannystate. If you were stuck in traffic on 295 and your destination/point of origin was NOT Warwick then you are a barely functioning idiot and deserve every bit of stress in your life.
I think the pols, police, fire and agencies have done a really good job.
It's not their fault that many RI'ers can't wipe their collective arse without being told how to do it.

Posted by: Tim at March 31, 2010 5:46 PM

Instead of quoting Kennedy maybe Coleridge? Glad to hear someone in Warwick is - ok. I am 180 degrees from Tim. RI's are coping as they have for a long time. That's what makes this a special place. Tim- going from SK to n Smithfield is not that complicated- but why would you?

Posted by: David S at March 31, 2010 6:57 PM

Instead of quoting Kennedy maybe Coleridge? Glad to hear someone in Warwick is - ok. I am 180 degrees from Tim. RI's are coping as they have for a long time. That's what makes this a special place. Tim- going from SK to n Smithfield is not that complicated- but why would you?

Posted by: David S at March 31, 2010 6:59 PM

Ah Tim,
The great rugged outdoors man. Our Jeremiah Johnson safely negotiated a drive from South Kingstown to North Smithfield and lived to brag about it. What a magnificent display of guts and fortitude....The independent man of the year. Golly willikers, so impressive, no government agent held his hand while he made the perilous journey
OldTimeLefty

Posted by: OldTimeLefty at March 31, 2010 8:53 PM

I feel for you people left in RI!

It didn't have to turn out this way, a lot of old timers at RIEMA with unbelievable amount of years in service especially in flood management left when the Governor started playing with the pension so now you have a almost all new untested crew in place at RIEMA. Well not anymore!

Also evidently the new RIEMA emergency preparedness plan is missing some tweaks addressing flooding!

I've been feeding info to a few friends still left because of the unusual circumstance Hi is positioned in. It seems every time we get large ocean swells (big waves) on our north shore from the large storms that develop off Japan and pass to our north, the mainland gets hammered with a storm about a week later.

This year Hawaii has been in a drought because most of the storms have stayed north traveling to the mainland.
Last week swells from storm is now in the west coast with some blizzard warnings heading east and this pass Tuesday we had large swells again on our north shore kicked up by another large storm heading east.

Take care RI.

Stay safe, keep warm and keep dry!

Posted by: Ken at March 31, 2010 11:52 PM

It's even more impressive than you think OldTiredLiberal. My acute visionary powers allowed me to determine that 295 would be a parking lot and should be avoided at all costs.
Awesome no?
And again no government official was needed to draw that rather simple, logical and highly accurate conclusion.
Amazing huh?
All that's required to navigate this postage stamp of a state is a functioing brain which sadly eliminates 80% to 85% of Rhody's population.
Those with flooded homes have every right to yell and scream and vent.
Those stuck in traffic on 295 have no right to b!tch about anything.
Stupid is as stupid does.

Posted by: Tim at April 1, 2010 7:09 AM

During the crisis we are all going through, It is nice that there is one constant: whining state workers. The ProJo reported that they were whining that they were not informed about the state shutting down until they were stuck in traffic. Poor babies! I know many people who's businesses are under water and don't know when or if they will have a job to go to! And they wonder why they have the reputation they do.

Posted by: Chris at April 1, 2010 8:43 PM

Tim,
I'd congratulate you for your pluck and mettle, but you beat me to it. Hope you didn't break your arm patting yourself on the back.
OTL

Posted by: OldTimeLefty at April 1, 2010 10:17 PM

Per usual OldTiredLiberal you've got it all wrong.
I'm patting Gov. Carcieri and Michael Lewis and Brenden Doherty and David Smith and David Gifford and Gen. Bray and the firefighters and the policemen and the guardsmen and the volunteers and the citizens who can function independently and do not require childish supervision on the back.
We are lead by the best of the best in this state.
Absolute top shelf at crisis management!
My contribution as a citizen (aside from not adding to the traffic nightmare - DUUUHHHH!!!!!!!) was to stay out of their way as they got about the important business of crisis management in this state, i.e pumping out Rt 95, assessing potential breach of dams, relocating those in flood danger, etc.
My job was also to take care of my property (on sump pump #2 - motor on #1 burned out already) and check up on/offer assistance to family and friends.
If offends me when morons put others in harms way and clog up the works because they're too damn stupid to think for themselves and come up with plan B.
Rhode Island is a very BLUE state and it really shows in times of crisis OldTiredLiberal.

Posted by: Tim at April 2, 2010 12:04 AM

Prez snubs flooded Rhode Island to chow on lobster in Boston.
Only one conclusion to draw, "Obama don't like white people"

Posted by: Tim at April 2, 2010 8:59 AM

revenge, hatred, and unhappy love. And yet Alfieri has treated these heartily when he told him how the genius had served him. Bearing her gifts. The matrons march in line,

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