Tree: Prepping

I have lived in many homes along these creeks and rivers. I learned to choose houses that are well above the predicted 100 year flood line which is a notoriously unreliable gauge. They clung to canyons, along narrow, winding trails that passed for roads rising up the sides of the coastal mountains away from the world below. This house is well above the flood lines, though we would more than likely not be able to leave if the water rose to any significant height.

The electrical system out this far is iffy and power outages are a frequent occurrence even without storm damage. Not enough to be noticeable, but enough to not bother setting the digital clock on the microwave. My friend who had lived out here for years welcomed me to the neighborhood with a large grocery bag of candles, batteries and the advice to get a wind-up alarm clock.

Because much of the infrastructure depends on electricity and drinking water depends on electrical pumps, lack of water is dealt with by storing jugs of potable water in the closet and flushing can be done with water gathered from the river that is now running swiftly through the yard. This house conveniently came with an outhouse, that while not used for some time, could do in a pinch. I was fortunate not to experience a flood during my stay in that house, but I would have been safe there and able to wait it out for some time. I was prepared.

Originally published at http://textcatwrites.wordpress.com on September 3, 2021.