June 8, 2008 started like any other day, but little did I know how much things would change. I started my day like any other mother with children. I got them up in the morning, fed them breakfast, cleaned the house, gave them baths, and all the other duties that come. Early in the afternoon I had a knock on my door, when I opened it there was a man there from the fire department. He told me that they were recommending everyone to evacuate to a safe place. He proceeded to tell me that the water levels of the Cedar River were expected to rise and start to pour over the dike. I asked him how much stuff I would need to pack up and move out. He then told me to pack clothes for two to seven days, and to put everything up as high as I could get it.
I called my mother-in-law and told her what was going on and she told me to get the most prized possessions out of the house. I then called my mother in Colorado to let her know what was happening and she told me to pack like there will be nothing left. I did the best I could with packing clothes and other necessities we would need. My husband was at work and was not able to come home and help me with the packing, so I packed what I could. After packing the things I could, I took the kids to my mother-in-laws house. I was hoping that our home would be spared or have very minimal water damage. The next day some of our neighbors called us and told us that our house was gone. It had went completely under water just 12 hours after I evacuated my home. It was a very horrible experience and I hope to never have to experience that again.
Life after a flood is very difficult. You can suffer from depression, anxiety, and many other things. I myself struggled with depression after the flood. After losing everything that was dear to you is not easy, but the only thing you can do is push forward, look at what you do have and cherish everything in your life. Never take anything for granted because you never know when you will lose it all. The pain is not easy to cope with, many times I cried and was going to lose hope that we could find another place to live. Depression is another thing that can happen to anyone that loses their home to any natural disaster.
Moving on can be hard, but is important to move on and re-build your life especially if you have children. I have moved on, moved back home to Colorado out of the flood plains, and re-established my life. It is definitely a life changing event so if you know anyone that has lost their home to any natural disaster it is important to be supportive and give them the help they need.
