The Adventures of a Bad Writer

The Floods of 2010

When I was growing up, my parents told me about the Blizzard of 1978. It snowed nearly an inch an hour for 33 straight hours, and that’s not including the snowdrifts. The winds were as powerful as a category 2 hurricane. It was a harrowing experience. I always wondered if I would ever tell my (eventual) kids about a storm or force of nature I lived through. After this weekend, I can.

Consider this your view into the Floods of 2010.

Panicky Vaudevillian's RI Flood Pic 1

The Northeast was drenched in over a half a foot of rain in less than two days, and that’s not including the leftover rainwater from the previous week, which had coincidentally also been heavier than normal. Yesterday was the worst of it; the rain was so heavy that after only a few seconds of being outside would result in being completely saturated.

Rhode Island was the hardest hit state, as much of the state received over 8 inches of rain. The Pawtuxet and Blackstone Rivers, amongst others, swelled to double their flooding capacity.

Thankfully my residence was not hit hard, though many other southern New Englanders have been devastated by these floods. Below are pictures taken from outside and around the Warwick Mall, the day after the rains fell. This place is very near and dear to my heart. My parents would take me there on summer days when I was younger, and I would walk around and play in the arcade and go to Waldenbooks and just be a kid. In its forty years of history, the mall has never once been flooded; it is now under several feet of water. Hopefully the retailers and those whose livelihoods are linked to the mall can rebuild quickly.

As I sit here and type this, I hear helicopters hovering close by taking stock of the damage. Though the human cost was minimal, the harm done to the lives of many is considerable. Godspeed to those hurt and affected by this deluge.

Topps Underwater

Thankfully, this shop had closed down a couple months prior.

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