Stormy Weather

The last time I remember having such intense weather was back in the late ’90s; in 1997-98 it was an El Niño year. I was working at Art Center College of Design and came home to pick up the boys for a dental appointment. There was two-three inches of standing water in our step down living room.

Being the mature woman that I was, I panicked and called Steve to tell him to get home immediately. I remember that he and our son Patrick set up some sort of pump to empty the room of water and then they tore down the walls and installed green board that resists moisture before prepping the room for new paint. What a mess!

I remember, too, that I had a guest stop by and when she was getting out of her car she dropped her keys in the gutter. The torrent of water was so fierce that it swept away her keys, probably depositing them in a nearby drain never to be seen again.

Another occasion of damp carpeting in the room due to rain necessitated the installation of some drainage on the west side of the house. Where there was previously dirt, which would absorb the water then regurgitate it into our living room, we had concrete poured with drainage pipes installed. Suffice it to say that we’ve lived in the house for more than 30 years and have never had to worry again about any water damage in that area from rain.

When we were gone on our (fantastic) trip I had a friend stay at the house to watch over the house and the dogs. I was confident that since we had a new roof installed within the last five to 10 years leaks would not be a problem. Unfortunately I was mistaken.

Apparently the winds were pretty mighty that accompanied the rain and snow that visited our area. We have a tile roof and the tiles are pre-molded with a nail hole to secure it to the roof. Unfortunately, one tile was not secured and slipped – probably due to the wind and rain. This allowed water to get under the tarpaper and enter one of the bedrooms. Thankfully it wasn’t gushing but it did cause a mess that my houseguest had to clean up and monitor. I was so embarrassed!

When there was an interruption in the rain Steve went onto the roof and found the offending tile and moved it back into place. Despite the heavy rains we’ve had these last few days there haven’t been any leaks – and believe me, I’ve checked!

We’re supposed to have a break in the rain until next Tuesday giving Steve a chance to return to the roof to permanently secure the tile. Of course I’ll be at the bottom of the ladder – unable to catch him if he falls but at least I can call paramedics.