Recent Catastrophe// Experience for Novels

Instead of cleaning up, I'm going to blog a bit. I miss writing and I haven't had a chance these last few days. It's been hectic. So here. I have a blog post with some pics from a recent catastrophe that was caused by a natural disaster: a flood. It's been flooding a lot lately everywhere. Sometimes I wonder if the entire US will end up under water. Too bad we aren't as cool as the Lost City of Alantas, right? Not many people would go looking for the "Lost United States". *shrugs*

'Tis beside the point, I guess. 

I am constantly putting personal experiences into novels. It's easier to write about a headache that I have experienced before, than to write about what a bullet wound feels like, because I have no idea what a bullet wound feels like. It's easier to write about what stepping on a rock feels like, rather than writing what stepping on a knife feels like. Because I haven't personally experienced some thing, they aren't written very accurately. Well, now I can accurately write about a flood. #Writerproblems 

It's now going to be easy to write the terror of a flood, to write what it looks like after a flood. It's going to be easier to account the amount of work that comes after a flood. It's time to write a short story of this when all of it is over. I probably shouldn't be excited, but I am a little bit. 

I wanted to share some of the experience. 

This is actually a really pretty picture. It looks like the water is supposed to be there, but it isn't. It barely missed a house. It's gorgeous, though, isn't it? Do you see the train that was stopped? The tracks were covered in mud and water. 

These were some National Guard dudes that were distributing water. (We aren't allowed to drink the town water.) 

(It almost looks like something from a war movie.)

So then, damage? A lot of damage. Friday we started clean up. This is our church building auditorium, we were ripping up the carpet. It was soaked. (Sorry it's dark, the power was out at that time.)

These next two pics, I didn't take, but I took them from a news article. These are what happens to roads during a flood:

It's devastating, the amount of people that lost their homes, or had serious damage done. But God has a purpose for everything, and in everything there is a meaning. What that is, I don't know just yet. 

But I have more work to do, and a story to plan for. 

(Oh, and when I get more pics, maybe I will put them up, too.)

Have a fantastic day.