June 29, 2006

• *Edit*

  
  

  I was wrong.  Terribly wrong.  It’s bad out here.  Where I live, it was just the tip of the iceburg.  Elsewhere, there are hundreds of people who have lost their homes.  Some were washed away by the floods.  Quite a few exploded because of gas/oil tanks in their homes sprung a leak.  Most of them were submerged and condemned by the government.  They can’t live there anymore.  They can’t even go back in to their homes.  People have lost all of their worldly possessions.  Cars, photos, memories, books,.. everything.  It’s terrible.

  
  

  The local church has been spearheading efforts to help people clean out their homes before they get bulldozed down (if they don’t clear them out, they will be fined by the government.)  They aren’t salvaging goods.  They’re just cleaning out the junk and putting it on the curb to be thrown away.  It sucks.  A lot.  My heart hurts for them.  I am riddled with guilt for trying to diminish the effects of the flood.  Clearly, I only saw a small portion of it.  It was as bad as they said it was. 

  
  

  It is the biggest diaster to hit Broome County. 

  
  

  I wish I could say more.  But I have no more words to offer.  Sorry for misleading you to think that people were okay when it was exactly the opposite.

  
  

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  Sensationalism
  
  After reading about the floods in the news this morning, I was actually leaning towards believing that something bad was going on in my town.  Normally, I don’t give my notice to disaster warnings, because like most people, I tend to think, “that won’t happen to me.”  However, when I saw that there was a state of emergency declared and that the news was calling it “record flooding” and that my street was named for evacuation, I started to get a little concerned.  I left work to come back home to check things out, and things looked… normal.  In fact, by the time I got home, it was sunny outside and people were sitting on their porch chilling.  I saw people biking.  I saw people walking their dogs.  I saw couples pushing their kids on strollers and having a great time.  Somewhat in disbelief, I checked back with the latest news to see how bad things were.  Well, according to the news, things were pretty bad and possibly getting worse.  Some bridge collasped and somewhere, a dam broke.  “Ok,” I thought.  “Maybe I should go take a look to see how bad things are at the river.”  Maybe it’s just about to crest and totally flood the area.  I made a danger map just before I left and brought my camera along with me.
  
  As it turns out, it was a pretty bad flood.  Cars were submerged in some locations and some people’s homes were under water.  But it was nowhere as bad as some news sources were saying it was. Mandatory evacuation of 15,000 people in the city of Binghamton?  That seems a little excessive to me.  Perhaps there was the potential of the flood affecting that many people, but I don’t think it was nearly that bad.  And I dont think it ever got that bad. 
  
  Check this excerpt from CNN
  
  

  
  

  About 80 miles upstream in Binghamton, New York, the Susquehanna spilled into city streets, covering cars, flooding homes and prompting a mandatory evacuation of as many as 15,000 residents, officials said.

  
  

  James Adams was one of those. He evacuated his family’s home near Binghamton after he and relatives watched their shed float away and their cars become submerged, the AP reported.

  
  

  “We lost just about everything — the cars, the clothes, even the baby’s crib,” he said. “I’m not sure what we are going to do.”

  
  

  Gov. George Pataki ordered 125 National Guard troops to Binghamton, and Mayor Matthew Ryan said the Susquehanna was expected to rise another 5 feet by Thursday. (Watch floodwaters threaten homes — 1:11)

  
  

  
   

  While this is all true, it doesn’t paint a very balanced picture.  But fair and balanced news reporting isn’t exactly something we really expect any more, is it?
  
  Well, I dont think I have what it takes to change the face of the news, but at least I can throw out some photos that may paint an interesting picture.  I’m somewhat proud of these photos.  I think they capture enough that they are on par with the type of photos you may find on CNN or some other lame news source.  Let me know what you think.  Professional enough?  Advice is welcome.  I’m looking at you, Diana.  Thanks.
  
  
  
  
  3 men outside the Robertson museum assess the damage to the car and the building.
  
  
  
  
  
  

  The flood waters were so deep in this parking lot that this car eventually became completely submerged.
  
  

  
  
  The parking lot Roberson musuem, where my former housemate Dave used to work, is completely submerged, picnic tables and all.
  
  
  
  
  Onlookers at a nearby bridge chat about the height of the river.  The bridge they are standing on was soon to be cleared out, while the bridge in the background remained open through the day.
  
  
  
  
  Officer _______ looks on as he controls traffic and holds back the onlookers from entering into flooded areas.
  
  
  
  
  The riverwalk park by the lighted bridge has been complete covered.
  
  
  
  
  Treetops and lampposts barely peak out of the water from in the park
  
  
  
  
  The riverwalk footbridge was closed to the public.  The footbridge was also closed in the floods of April 2005.
  
  
  
  
  
  Many pedestrians came out to take photos and enjoy the otherwise good weather.
  
  
  
  
  A couple go for a walk after having toured the local flooded areas.
  
  
  
  
  Despite a state of emergency in the city of Binghamton where non-emergency vehicles are banned from usage, the US postal service continues to serve the public and deliver mail, while the city’s garbage and recycling remain unattended to.
  
  
  
  
  A million dollar house is submerged in water as its residents discuss what to do.
  
  
  
  
  <insert your own caption here>
  
  
  
  
  Local children skip rocks in the newly formed lake in their front yard.
  
  
  
  
  A few men recognise the irony of the situation.
  
  
  
  
  Many couples and local residents come out to enjoy the riverwalk view, which is almost completely covered.  The river level has risen over 20 feet at this location, covering the walkways below the guardrails.
  
  
  
  
  The stairs that lead down to the riverwalk have vanished under the swirling waters.  The crest of the water is only inches away from overflowing this final barrier.  If that had happened, the entire business district of downtown Binghamton would have been in danger of flooding.
  
  
  
  Ha.  The funny thing is, after going through those photos, I can see how easy it is to make a dark and negative picture of the event.  Realistically, the atmosphere out there was pretty fun as I took my walk.  People were out with the families and kids and taking pictures.  It was like a sunny Saturday, and it was quite festive.  Many people didn’t have to work today and spent the time with family and friends.  Maybe it was worse in other areas, but where I am, it wasn’t too bad at all.  A couple of roads got washed out.  A couple of bridges went under.  And a few homes were submerged.  I also heard that a hospital got flooded and was evacuated, but I didn’t walk that far today.
  
  Anyways, the important thing is, I’m safe where I am.  The water level would have to rise another 20 feet for me to get affected, and that is highly unlikely.   Thanks for your concern.  I’m glad to be home and not homeless.
  
  

  • 12:58 am
  • 9 Comments