[RussL.]

The wettest July on record in Northwestern Vermont caught up with us at the end of last week. Friday morning our finished basement flooded as a result of all the rain and a clogged/failed perimeter drain.

My shop, my office/den, the kids play room and the dogs pen all went awash under several inches of water for over 24 hours, until I got the cause figured out and unclogged.

We dragged out all that we could until we just dropped from exhaustion.

We had never had any water at all during the eighteen years since we built the house.

We have a flood-recovery company in there now trying to dry the whole place out. I have a contractor coming tomorrow to dig up and replace the drain outfall that had grown clogged with tiny woody roots over the years (finally reaching a critical mass just as the ground was a wet as it had been on 80 years).

I lost a bunch of wood and many of my woodcarving books. Other than that we lost very little. I made getting my tools out of there a priority early in the catastrophe.

It could have been much worse, but coming on the heels of my leg-slash two weeks ago it really has been a rugged couple of weeks…

No internet at home for another week or so.
No carving on the workbench in my shop for I don’t know how long.

For now I’m back to whittlin’ and chip carving on the kitchen table.

R

[Keoma]

My heart goes out to you and your family! I am so sorry about your predicament! I am very glad you do not loose your tools. about your wood. Is there anything you need? It grows on tree's around here. I hope you are smiling today. Things will get better and dryer and your leg is on the mend. At least your family is safe!
All my love to you! You can count on the support from this forum. I can say for sure, you will be in everyones thoughts and prayers! Feel The Love russ and count your Blessings! This to shall Pass

[Whimsy_Carver]

Needless to say, but those of us in South Louisiana truly understand and know the feelings you have at this time. Trust me when I say that you have our sympathies and best wishes. You will rebuild and you will have better days. Our thoughts are with you.
J

[Ron T]

Hello RussL,

I'm very sorry to hear about your misfortune but glad to know the loss was small. When we go through these ordeals, it gets the heart pumping and the adrenaline flowing. That's when you know you're alive and that's what matters most. Like Keoma said, "Count your blessings." "At least your family's safe."

[Iowa Carver]

Sorry to hear about that. Hope you get all fixed up and back to normal soon!

Corey

[Joy]

Sending good thoughts your way. Hang in there.

[gene messer]

Russ .. Iam so sorry for the problems .. I remember after Hurrican Rita coming home to the destruction .. and clean up ..

My prayers are with you on the clean up and please be careful and dont get injured on anything ..

Gene

[santagibbs]

Sorry to hear about all your trouble Russ, We have been in this house about 18 years and I live on the edge of a pond.. I am feeling like the over flow is stopped up with this hugh fitzer tree's roots as it doesn't drain as fast as it use too.. I am glad you saved your tools and things will dry out soon but I know that must have been an awful experience.. God Bless you and your family..Charlotte

[Mottles]

Hi Russ, sorry to hear about you place getting flooded. My hubby's parents were flooded once and it's certainly a terrible thing.
I hope things get back to normal for you and family soon. Sounds like it hasn't damped your spirits and that is important.
Kathy

[RussL.]

Thank you all for the thoughts, concern and encouragement.

The day before the flooding of our basement I had purchased two 10” X 1” X 10’ green basswood planks from a fellow I talk with in the course of work who lives a half hour from home.
I had set the planks on “sticks” to air-day in the garage over the next year and to cut sections from in order to play with some green wood.

The flood-recovery company has a six or eight chest-high industrial dehumidifiers and a dozen and a half industrial blowers going 24/7 in my basement. Along with pushing the air around and sucking the moisture from it the whole system has raised the temperature in the basement to somewhere in the 80’s.

Yesterday it occurred to me that that what I have down there is a very expensive lumber kiln! I put the planks down there last night after work to knock, maybe, a couple of months’ drying time off of them while all that equipment remains running for the next couple of days.
Talk about “When life hands you a lemon…”! :-)

Russ