Yes it IS bad!

Good morning darling readers!  I've been quite a bit distracted for a few days as I watched Hurricane Irene head up the Atlantic coast.  I have many friends and family that live along the eastern seaboard.  I watched and waited as it slowly churned it's way north-breathing a sigh of relief when it passed one area and praying for the next area in the path.  So it was Sunday afternoon that I watched with shock and amazement as the "talking heads" started declaring that "Hurricane Irene wasn't so bad."

 I had been watching my Face book page closely and my friends in Vermont were telling me that the water was rising.  Surely the talking heads would start rephrasing their comments as Sunday evening closed in and I started hearing reports of evacuations in my home town of Waterbury, Vermont.  I listened in disbelief as they kept repeating the same old refrain.  Oh there were a spattering of reports about flooding but "it wasn't that bad."  By Monday morning my head was about to explode so I chose not to blog because I was so angry-they kept saying the same thing over and over again!  I knew how bad it was because my family and friends were telling me and posting pictures as well!

My friends were evacuating in waist high and chest high water in the dark because of flash flooding.  By late Monday morning they were being allowed back in their homes to salvage what they could knowing that the water was going to come up again.  The rivers had not crested, they had just gone down from the initial flash flooding.  It wasn't just happening in Vermont either.  Upstate New York, New Hampshire and Maine were also experiencing some flooding.

I can not even begin to describe the devastation but here are some pictures that will show you.

The Burlington Free Press Photos

The Valley Reporter

These are just a handful of the photos that I have seen over the past few days.  Yes folks, it IS bad.  My prayers go out to everyone who has been impacted by this storm.  And if you or your church can help in any way, I know it will be appreciated.  There are people up and down the eastern seaboard who can use a helping hand.

As for me, right now I can't get back to Vermont...but I'm working on it.