Scene and Photo by Peggy Porter
Hours earlier, it had been just an ordinary Friday evening and the planned neighborhood block party for Saturday seemed on schedule. But a brief glimpse of the front yard Saturday morning while getting the newspaper showed there had been some rain overnight. Standing water quietly rippled as cars drove past.
The rains continued, changing from a sprinkling to a downpour, eventually swallowing up the grass, except for some green along the edge of the street and yard. The rain pounded and poured steadily for four more hours, then intermittently for 12 more.
No grass was visible anywhere in the neighborhood as water splashed menacingly onto the front steps of homes. Abruptly, the area was on a high alert for possible flooding. A call to the village to verify that the pumps in the lagoons were working received only a meaningless machine saying to leave your number.
Residents soon stashed the appetizers and desserts meant for the block party and instead anxiously called home supply stores for sandbags, and searched for trucks to rent in case their furniture had to be rescued from the flood. Nervously, they also checked the sky, hoping to see signs of clearing.
There was only more rain.
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