Well I've been Ivaned.

[GPster]

Well 41.7 feet of water stays on the outside of our sidewalk. There is no way for back-water to get in our yard and in 35 years I've never seen it high enough to break the sidewalk barrier. This time it did. Filled the hole where our pond is going to be. It wasn't satisfied there. Water went clear up to 44.97 feet ( 45 feet is considered a Major flood). That was enough water to fill our basement and put 3 feet of water on the floor of my garage. After a day of cleaning I should be happy that the water came just shy of hitting the floor joists of our first floor so even though we have a major clean-up and might have lost our furnace, central A/C and hot water heater (yes I have flood insurance) My little realm did not fare as well. After a day of wading and carrying I thought to venture out to the garage to see how much mud was on the floor. Early reports had listed the water to creast at 41 feet so our main concern was to empty the basement of the house. Then they revised the crest to 45 feet when it would have been impossible to move anything to higher ground because we were already surrounded by water. We got everything off the 2 bottom wall shelves and the bottoms of my toolboxes as best we could. When the floor was dry I walked back to check it today. Couldn't see much terrible and really couldn't see how high the water had gone. Talking to my wife, who had waded in while there was water there, and she said that there was an oil-slick on top of the flood water. That got me scared and checking. Pulled the dipstick on the 235 6 in the truck project. It was clear full, of water. Evidently the flood water got high enough to fill the pan of the engine and float the oil out. I imagine that the powerglide and the close drive-shaft and rear end suffered the same. The short tail shaft 350 turbo for the Jeepster and the Hondamatic motorcycle would have suffered the same catastrophy. The 350 short block was on an engine stand and I don't know yet if it got that high. When things look bad you stop looking. I just start imagining. I would imagine that the 8" rear end under the jeepster has taken on the same conditions. There comes a time when you are forced to realize that if you try to make someting out of junk that junk is all you really have. I certainly am hopping for good ides and stories but at this point $100.00 a ton at the crusher seems all too real. OH WELL GPster

[Bob Paulin]

You know?......

....Seeing what some people have suffered through with recent weather events makes the ice storm that we went through in the Northeast a few years back seem not so bad.

We were five days without electricity - in sub-freezing temperatures - but the house was still standing and in good shape, the wood stove in the cellar required stoking every couple of hours, but it kept things fairly comfortable, the Coleman stove provided vittles and coffee, the Coleman lantern an eerie light at night, and we found some interesting ways to keep warm at night in bed.

I was working for NASCAR at the time, and I was "forced" to travel down to New Hampshire to do the NASCAR Busch North banquet ......where, with no pre-meditated planning on my part, a hot shower awaited at the hotel.......

.......and, I became the neighborhood hero when I returned on Sunday with several gallons of Coleman fuel and lamp oil that could not be found locally.

Hang in there, GPster.....

I'm happy to hear that you had insurance.......a lot of people did not have THAT good fortune.

We're joking about the "Great Ice Storm" nowadays - though we were far from happy at the time - and I hope the time comes for you that you can joke about this experience.

Life is what happens while you are making other plans.

As Red Green says, "Remember, I'm pulling for you.....We're all in this together."

B.P.

[WZ JUNK]

Joe, my folk's home was flooded a few years ago and stayed flooded for a few days.  Dad took a canoe and paddled around front one day and when he looked in the front window their microwave oven was floating near the living room ceiling.   A group of us cleaned the place after the water receded.  It was a mess but what we could not save we threw away.  Water inside an engine does not ruin the engine.  As quick as you can drain the water out and the next chance you get, try to remove the pan and flush it with kerosene or something similar. I would not worry about the rear end or the transmission immediately.  Just drain them of water as soon as you have time.  My guess is the internal parts have a pretty good coat of oil on them anyway and that should protect them for some time.  Sorry for the mess you have.  I wish I were closer and that I could help you.

[enjenjo]

Sorry to hear that Joe. Hopefully you can salvage enough to make something out of it. If you can drain the rearends, in the near future, they should be ok. Same with the engines. The 350 trans may be another story.

[40]

Joe,Sorry to hear of your misfortune...Glad everyone is OK!Too far away to be of much help but if there is anything I can do...just ask.

[Bruce Dorsi]

Pictures of the flooding in Marietta were on the news from the New York City and Philadelphia TV stations.  .....I was wondering if you were affected.

Sorry to hear you got hit, Joe!

How far from the river (normally) are you located?

While it may not be much consolation, just remember it could have been MUCH worse!

If I were closer, I'd offer my help, also.

~~~~~Bruce

[KustomLincolnLady]

Well, Joe looks like it was worse than you thought from our conversation the other night. Glad to hear it stopped short of the main floor. Sounds like (from what others said) you may be able to salvage some of your car stuff  
Sure wish we were closer to help  :?  Keep us posted!!!
Debb

[HotRodLadyCrusr]

I too am sorry to hear what has happened.  I don't watch the TV news at all so I had no clue that places in OH were being so affected.  I sure wish you would have let me/us here on the RRT know.   No where in Ohio is more then 5 or 6 hours away and I would have come in a heartbeat to help move things to higher ground.  PLEASE, if there is anything I can do to help, PLEASE don't hesitate to ask.

[purplepickup]

Joe I'm really sorry about your stuff but you've been thru worse and pulled thru just fine.    

I'd get that water out of everything and flush them as soon as possible.

[Bib_Overalls]

My wife and I went through the Mt Pintatubo eruption in the Phillipines.  We lost most of our stuff and there were several days when we thought we would die.  At the time, it was gut wrenching.  But in short order things started to come together and our lives returned to normal.  We quickly acquired house full of domestic necessities and a garage full of  guy stuff.  I would not wish a natural disaster on anybody.  But having been through one I can say two things.  First, no matter how bad you have it someone has it worse.  And if you get out with your life everything else is trivial.  Good luck to you.

[rooster]

Joe wish I was closer to give a hand. Ive been through this myself, alot! Best advice is power washer, plenty of pictures, try to save as much as possable! Move away from the problem if possable.

Like you I tryed to get everything possable up high that was in the basement and valuable to me. ( first picture)

What i didnt know was the river would reach record hight in 1982, and would enter the second floor. ( second picture) This all started in the third week of Nov while I was Deer hunting 100 miles away, the water was at its deepest on Dec 7, and receaded about a week after that. Where I worked at was about 3 miles upstream and was completly wiped out. At the time I thought this was "The BIG ONE"!   The good news is I left in 82, In 1993 the water was 6 feet over the entire house! Thats the current "BIG ONE".

(third picture)
Uninvited guest just behind the ice box, I dont know what kind of snake it was, all I know it was a big one!

Keep at it brother cool weather close at hand.

[OlBuzzard]

Rooster, so far as I'm concerned there are only two kinds of snakes--live ones and dead ones.  I prefer the dead ones.  We live in rattlesnake country and we have cats which we prefer to snakes.  Our dog was bit on her foot last year by a rattler.  She's okay now.  

Hope all of you affected by Ivan are able to recover soon.  Now Ivan's back in the Gulf headed toward Texas, last I heard.  We're too far inland to have much of a chance of being affected by it, I hope.

[GPster]

How far from the river (normally) are you located?

[/quote]                                                                                           We live 2 blocks from the Ohio river and 2 blocks from another major river (Muskingum)  that a lot of Ivan's rain dumped into also. Pool stage at Marietta is normally about 17 feet. Flood stage in Marietta is considered 35 feet and although at that point it has flooded some streets it is still pretty much in the banks by us. It's been 40 years since the water has been this high but it was a little higher this time. Because this house is 112 years old it has seen higher water but it's been in Linda's family since 1934. I try not to think about this stuff too much but I do think about it yearly when the premium is due on the insurance. Been paying it 22 years and never had a claim. I wonder if it's any good? Looked at the 235 again today. What water line I can see might indicate that water backed up the exhaust pipe and maybe got into a cylinder that had an open exhaust valve. Kind of hard to single out that sort of project as important right now. If the gas company doesn't get the gas line straightened out real soon I'm liable to be hungry (er) and smelly (er) at Debb's picnic. Hey Frank? How long a lunch break am I allowed? GPster

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Sorry to hear you were in the way. Man, what a mess I'm sure. Hang in and get the insurance co. to do everything you can think of.

Charlie

[enjenjo]

Hey Frank? How long a lunch break am I allowed?

As long as you need Joe.