at about 12:30
AM
I went home for my camera. I was in the midst of a 6PM to
4AM cab drivers shift.
The view from my backyard.
That muddy whitish monster was my creek roaring to the
sea... flat object right foreground was a bench I built on
moving in, to sit and have a little peaceful enjoyment of my
tranquil piece of nature.
4th Street San
Rafael
near Greenfield
2nd &
D Street
last fare of
night
took me to the city
Finally coming home over the Golden Gate Bridge
as the Pacific Storm
raged in..
Love that Bridge.
It was well
after 4 AM when I gassed up my cab and checked out at the
cab company. I had the radio on to the news station KCBS and
I heard something about San Anselmo.
I made the decision to just go home along Sir Francis Drake
Blvd. instead of by way of San Rafael... not thinking.
My 87' Toyota Corolla heater had been broken for some time
now/ the windows are all fogged up and I am wiping them and
passing the Bon Air Center and I am going through pretty
deep water I pass a car with its flashers on stuck in the
deep water I stop to see if someone wants help but the car
was empty.
I continue on through some higher road elevation crawl
through large standing water at SFD & Wolfe Grade but up
ahead at the SFD & College a police car was blocking
access to SFD.
Pure stupidity... don't ask me for advice on anything
ever. I decide to take Kent Avenue up through Ross. I
was trying to visualize where the water was building up on
SFD that they had it blocked.... Duh!
Wiping that foggy windshield with the sleeve of my
coat there is quite a bit of water coming down Kent Avenue
but it wasn't as bad as what I had passed through in front
of the Bon Air Shopping I chug away through slowly up Kent
Avenue is it starting to dawn on me yet ... no.. just a
little further up around that first little set of curves and
now I am struggling and the car is gasping sucking in the
water up it's tailpipe or whatever it does and it all dawn's
on me. I am up the proverbial..
Shit Creek without a Paddle..
I can go no further there's water rushing past me I am about
to
stall out in the middle of a river. With my car's last
breath I hang a quick left up a few feet of driveway. Just a
little higher elevation my bumper against someone's parked
car. I'll wait there until the water starts receding.
It looked like this through my back window.
Thirty minutes later I hear the water lapping at my door and
I evacuate my car. I hang out on the Porch watching the
neighborhood. I hear no sirens.. people still sleep as the
water fills their basements and floods their cars. Finally
people start emerging across the street. I decide I better
wake up these people whose porch I am on. The door bell and
pounding the door gets no results..
This is
what it looked like as the river raced down Kent Avenue past
my car about 5:30 AM.
Maybe I could have got out if I had backed it up and floated
down stream where I had come from.
Across the
street neighbors had woken up & were making a mad
scramble to save their cars. They drove out of their
driveway and into deep water I thought they wouldn't make it
but they did off downstream. Couple of young guys made the
rescue they came back to their house. I was feeling pretty
damn cold and miserable soaked standing in the shadows on a
porch so I waded out to them along the picket fence feeling
the tug of the current. Let's see how do I put this politely
I happen to be passing through and ummm.... I'm freezing and
rather than wait out in the rain for 4 hours... is it
possible that I might get some shelter...?
I said something and the fella said this isn't my house but
since my Mom is already here these guys probably won't mind
you too... Anyways they didn't mind, great guys 3 young men,
with their parents away for the New Years Weekend. We got to
work
carrying furniture and belongings up from their first floor/
floor level basement up stairs. 'Bernie' from across the
street couldn't get back home after rescuing her car. Her
sons were able to get across the street with the aid of
ropes.
The sun
was finally coming up at least behind the clouds it must
have stopped raining Thank You God.. maybe about 7AM.
This is what it
looked like
looking up the street.
My Toyota... lower left behind the tree.
Across the
street
This wasn't
Tyler nor James...darn I am bad with names.
They did their best Mom and Dad...
good thing you weren't there.
I tried to lend a hand..
This nice
picture of Ross in the Bickel residence looks strangely
familar...
downtown Ross 1982.
A little ship to
porch rescue was attempted.
By 10 AM the the
water level
had dropped.
People
started wandering
out...
I was able to get my Toyota started ..seats were soaked lots
of mud inside it started.
Thanks guys and Bernie.. scrambled eggs
were great.
Back in San
Anselmo desolation for the Merchants as debris gets piled
outside.
Cars had been
shoved here and there.
Back home the
creek had taken away the bench more drastic erosion to my
disappearing backyard..
John the Landlord hello.. retaining wall ...?
(but no rent increase.. you
are the best!)
Once again
the fact that the other side of the creek has slightly lower
banks
saves me.
Spared...
Gigantic sigh.
that's my doorway the carpet was dry. The Mudline. The crest
1 inch beneath my threshold
