Are you prepared?
Yesterday in Sunday School we talked about self reliance, and the teacher brought up that his wife has been begging him to redo their basement, including getting rid of the wood-burning stove. He is adamant that it remain, in case it's ever needed. As is often the case in Sunday School, my mind started wandering and I thought about all the times we lit the wood-burning stove in my parents' house. Of course, this was the 1980s. I think wood-burning stoves were more hip back then, and used for more than just emergencies. But then came the night of something something, 1983. Real specific on my dates, aren't I? Actually, judging from the dating on the picture it could have been in April cuz there's still remnants of snow in the front yard. Of course we could have had snow in May back then, you know, before all this global warming. But back to the story...I was only 5 at the time, so my memory isn't that clear, but I think there had been a storm going on for quite some time. I remember my whole family hanging out and sleeping in the family room for a few days. I think there had been major power outages and we only had the heat of the stove, and I definately remember my mom using it to cook all our meals. Then, during one of those nights, a terrible wind rose up and tore the bricks right off the side of the house.
The wall that lost the bricks was right next to the family room and it woke everyone up but me. I've always been a heavy sleeper. My dad said it sounded like a big vacuum sucking the bricks off the house. Was it the Big Bad Wolf? Maybe. Maybe it was.
Wasn't 1983 a terrible year? First came the winds, and later that spring came the floods! The very floods that caused a river to run down State Street and a dike, not just sandbags but a dike, to be built to contain the river running down 13th South. The very floods that caused a mud slide in Spanish Fork Canyon, creating a natural dam and flooding the entire town of Thistle. The very floods that caused large pumps to be placed in the Great Salt Lake, which remained in use until 1986. My best friend's back yard was terraced, and the bottom two terraces were totally filled! We tried to go swimming in her backyard (which would soon become the norm as they had a pool installed a few years later), but our parents absolutely forbade it.
So, for those of you who were in Utah in 1983, what do you remember about the floods?
10 comments:
I don't remember the flooding, but I do remember using our wood burning stove. I don't think we ever had to do it for several days in a row, at least not that I remember, but whenever the power would go out, we could still have a nice meal. I think you are right that they used to be more stylish than they are now.
I am so glad you remember our childhood because I sure don't!!! How could I forget that?
So that's the question - should we keep the wood burning stove (circa 1980's) and be prepared or get rid of it to avoid looking too dated? And yes, we have used it many times over the years during the frequent Farmington power outages for heat and cooking. It is nice to have one place in the house that's really warm during the winter. Or you can just move to Tucson and not worry about the freezing temps in Utah.
i think i do remember it. i have vague memories of lots of sandbags in ogden canyon. sandbags everywhere actually. we were only like 5 right? i can't believe that pic of your house! and i really can't believe that you slept through it! well, 5 years olds are good, good sleepers though. good memory robs. i'll have to be careful around someone with such a good memory. it kinda freaks me out a little. :-)
Uh, my memory isn't as good as yours I guess. I vaguely remember hearing about the flooding on TV while I was playing with my Barbies. :)
Cool memories. I wonder if it was a microburst or a small funnel cloud that broke your house?
I remember hearing about the flooding and talking about it. I remember hearing about how they turned a road into a river. I pictured them really turning it into a river with river banks and plants lining the edges. I don't think I got it. A few years later I saw pictures and grasped the concept of sandbags. Sopmetimes I should remember how I was clueless when I was young. Maybe I would understand my kids better- they are clueless too.
Robby Robby Robby....
You definitely have some Byron in you. The "days and days of storming" and mom cooking over the wood-burning stove? I am laughing even as I type. We may have roasted marshmallows on that stove... and I'm giving that a maybe. You make the memories a bit more memorable than they actually were, but it keeps the blog readers happy, right?
My cousin lived in Centerville and her street was completely flooded. IT WAS AWESOME! My uncle, aunt and cousin were on the front page of the newspaper, they were boating down their street. If my memory doesn't fail me, wasn't that the year of the awesome snows? The banks were huge and the grocery store, might have been harmons? roof caved in. these are good memories, rob, or maybe i just made them all up. anyhow, thanks and love you
I recall Heaven being quite nice actually in 1983.
What a terrible year! I am amazed at your memory!
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