I knew the rain and wind was going to pose some challenges for us in the mountains today but I can honestly say I was not expecting what developed over the next few hours.
We got in the car and headed up to the reservation, and everywhere we went the roads were blocked by state troopers due to all the landslides that happened through the night. After explaining to the authorities that we positioned equipment on different parts of the mountain the day before and were heading up to help open the roads, they wished us luck and let us through.
The first obstacle we encountered was a truck sunk deep into the mud. We left the rental car on the side of the road and headed in by foot. What we saw next was a first for all of us. Roads were washed out so bad that the rock and dirt that once was the base for the roads were gone. Asphalt hung suspended in the air without anything underneath except a vertical cliff down the mountain.Along came an Indian with a very old four-wheel-drive pickup. It was one of those trucks designed to climb rocks so we decided to hitch a ride in the back for about one mile. Along the way, we discovered a dog that was killed by the avalanche. As the Indian picked up the dog and laid it in the back of the truck by our feet, he sadly explained that the dog was his – and told us how proud he was of his once beautiful, strong mastiff. Tim and I locked eyes and knew what each was thinking without saying any words…and continued to look at each other as blood poured out of this man’s best friend. We eventually looked up the road to survey the task at hand: opening these roads so that the people stranded and blocked in by the mud, rocks, and trees could get out.
We finally made it to our first Cat 252B Skid Loader. We went to work without even letting the cold machine warm up. I took the first shift but then handed the machine over to Seth so I could talk with the Indians coming from their houses. Many of them had been waiting for someone to come open the roads so they could escape. They explained how everything happened so quickly. We worked at a rapid speed for hours and then finally brought in the grapple truck.
We reached another area near the Indian reservation that had flooded so badly that the mud was five feet deep and mixed with boulders and trees – and when I say trees, I mean all of the trees…including the root systems. Seth began to extract the large logs from the road and load them one by one into the holding bodies.
As we ventured farther into the reservation we saw mudslides and washouts like we have never seen before. One part of the mountain had a 60-foot crevice carved out. Everything in the mudslides’ path was either destroyed or moved, including large boulders. But by the end of the day all the roads were opened. It was quiet though and not many people returned.
The weather is changing rapidly here. It’s cold, windy and rainy. From what I can tell we don’t have much more time to get things done. Another storm system is coming in a few days, and there is still more to do.We have positioned our equipment once again. This time we placed a Cat loader at the firehouse and another one at the tribal council’s main offices where people will gather in case of another emergency. The wind is starting to blow stronger as I write this. I can hear things clanging and banging outside our hotel. Tomorrow morning will be here in a few hours.
I’ll say a prayer before I go to bed. Give us strength, speed and safety…help the Indians to make it through the continual challenges they face and that lie ahead, and if it’s not too much to ask for, we would love to be home with our families and friends by Christmas.
No comments:
Post a Comment