Five feet high and rising

Water is life-giving. We humans need it to survive, of course, and so do the plants you grow for a living. But water can also be terrifying. Those who have dealt with the damage and the aftermath of tropical storms and hurricanes can attest to the power of that life-giving substance and its ability to cause destruction.

On my last day as a newspaper reporter, I covered a flash flood. The Huron River had overflowed its banks. Roads, yards and even some low-lying houses had begun to be overtaken by the rising water. A photographer and I joined volunteers in kayaks looking for people who needed help. Although I had parked my trusty Oldsmobile far from the water’s edge, the high ground wasn’t high enough. By the time I returned a few hours later, my car was partially submerged. Luckily, the engine started and I was able to drive back to the paper. I wrote my last story with my socks drying on the register and my pant legs rolled up and dripping water all over the newsroom carpet.

About 10 years later, a disaster hit me in a more personal way. A tremendous amount of rain in a short period of time overwhelmed our city’s storm sewer system, causing gallons and gallons of water to gush into my basement. The flood happened in the middle of the night. Normally, I wouldn’t have gotten the bad news until daybreak. However, our infant son had a disaster of his own, of the diaper variety. When I headed to the basement to get some cleaning supplies, I saw a waterspout where I normally saw a drain.

When a disaster like this happens, you feel helpless. You do what you can, but really, you’re at the mercy of Mother Nature. My son’s well-timed blowout gave me a head start. The water hadn’t crested the baseboards yet, so I was able to move plenty of items up to the main floor and out of harm’s way before it was too late.

Many nurseries have faced that feeling of helplessness. Every natural disaster leaves wreckage in its wake. Carolina Native Nursery was one of the many businesses affected by Hurricane Helene two years ago. Read the story of their struggle and recovery.

Have you dealt with a natural disaster at your business? Tell me about it at the email below.