Friday, June 20, 2014

A Great Flood

It has been raining here almost non-stop for the past several days. The thunder and lightning has been scaring the daylights out of my poor dog Isabella. We've been getting thunderstorm warnings, tornado warnings, and flood warnings.

The day before yesterday on a break in the weather I decided to go out for a drive to the grocery store. On my way back home I came over the last hill, which there are many, and the sunlight on the cornfield on the other side of the highway was making a mirage that looked like I was looking out over the ocean.

That was an interesting sight. I've seen strange reflections on the cornfields, but it never looked quite like this before, so I decided to investigate. As I got closer I realized that this was no mirage. It was water!

The cornfield had been replaced by a lake. The pictures you see here in my post is a flooded cornfield. It looks like a lake because it's the size of a vast lake. In one direction it goes as far as the eye can see. The water is from the flooded Big Sioux River that is far in the background behind the trees.

I didn't have my good camera with me because that's not why I was out. I took these pictures with my cellphone. I had to enhance the pictures in a photo editor because I was looking into the Sun. I'd say they came out pretty good.

As of writing this, they now have the highway that runs alongside the river closed. That highway is the main road to get just about anywhere around here. You could still get places, but you'd have to go about twenty miles out of your way to do it. I drove around to find that out.

Since I've been here the weather has been pretty mild up until now. Even the winters have been pretty snow free. That will most likely change one of these next times. It's kind of strange to see all of the rivers pretty much all the way full or overflowing. Usually they're almost empty.

I'm hoping the Big Sioux flood will recede in another day or two so they open up the highway again. Then I can get back to visiting the nature parks. This flood ruins a lot of things for the farmers around here, but I have to say that for me it's mostly just interesting. I'll talk to you later.

14 comments:

  1. Those flooded fields will be bad news for the farmers if they don't drain soon. Maybe too late already. Good thing you got groceries when you did!

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    1. It is too late. I got a look at the fields today. The crops are ruined. The good thing for me is that one road to town has been open.

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  2. I weathered out a five inch storm yesterday. Came home this morning tired and damp. Taking a few days before leaving again on Sunday.Been in a tent all week.There is a jacket for dogs who are frighten of noise I have seen advertised that offers them security.

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    1. I'll have to check out that dog jacket. Mine has an anxiety problem.

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  3. Beautiful photos, great post:) Greetings

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  4. Wow, I hope those fields drain soon, for the farmers' sake!

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    1. The water is going down, but it's going to take a while.

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  5. Ironically, the reason those fields are so fertile is because of all the nutrients deposited by flood events.

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    1. Yeah, I do believe that. Next year will probably be a great time for the crops.

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