In Columbus' certain neighborhoods are a disaster....as is Cummins COHA, the Tech
center basement and 1st floor, and the 'back' of Plant 1(for us who remember the old main front entrance off 5th St.), which
is mainly the warehouse under the old test cell area, and bldg. 40 area .
Work had been progressing on a 'sewer system addition' to accomodate change to
the former signature ass'y line area for readying it for buiding the new small engine. That seems to have been
delayed somewhat, as is construction of a building addition just due South of the Signature ass'y area for shipment of completed
small engines.....this seems to continue.
The parking lot South of Bldg. 40 and the old test cell/warehouse bldg. is filled
with file cabinets and other former contents of the buildg....trying to dry out.
We had some rain last night (Sunday) and also Sat nite, just 1 week from the major
flood causing storms.
Many could not get in to Cols; from any direction for a day or 2, then entrance
from N 31 opened and traffic backed up for miles...o0nce in line, it took about 45 minutes to Washington St. Entrance
for the S. was South on Terrace lake RD. E on State 58 to I-65, then N to the Taylorsville 31 exit.....that took about 30
minutes to get on 65, which itself had been closed North until approx. a week ago.
46 was closed and water was over the road and deep from the river to the Cork liguor
stor....all businesses were shut down and many had water....the Holliday Inn remains closed even now.....cars in the
parking lots were lost.
Many neighborhoods were'lost' too: the Lagoons, Everoad Park W, Arrowood, N trailer/mobile
home parks, Garden City to name a few. The Lagoons remained under yesterday, and I assume today as well as they
have no drains, and owners can only do limited pump outs due to Lagoon water level....and reported cautions not to pump out
aggressively as the remaining external water pressure may cause foundation, basement wall collapse or damage. Many,
many other areas were flodded too....I can't name them all, and many smaller home areas withing some relatively unaffected
neighborhoods are distressed too,
There must be hundreds, if not thousands of homes/owners who lost all....almost
all lost cars too.....and they are without flood insurance and no way to fund any losses or repairs. Fortunately,
FEMA set up their first full day of operation to receive claims yesterday. The place I worked looked like the city dump
befor the landfills: unbelievable piles of corn stalks washed in, mountains of wet insulation, wallboard, furniture
and mattresses, etc....couyld barely see the driveways or yards.
24 looters arrested so far with pictures
in the paper, which has njot stopped printing. All police units,soldiers, city and volunteer workers patrol constantly...you
must explain your reason befor entering an area....that is oing great !
On the bright side:
All institutions and individuals have responded magnificantly!....with shelter,
food, councelling That has been unbelievable. Neighbors are helping neighbors, stores, operating restaurants,
churches, individuals offer water and food, cleaning supplies...everything ! Workers, city organizations,
schools, charities work around the clock. Its an emotional tear jerker to see the flooded out families, realize many lost
their homes, BUT it also has an opposite emotional , but the same physical affect to see the spirit and cooperation which
is taking place.
Columbus is not the only city so damaged in the State, or the Midwest...all of
which has witnessed our own Katrina, but on a smaller scale.
PS: all GG's locally are OK; but I have not talked to John Grimmer, and Franklin,
Princess/Sweetwater Lake lost a dam, as did Shaffer Lake in Hope. John and Barb. were scheduled to attend
the Purdue Club Outing Scholarship Banquet June 4, about the start of the storm period. John does intend to join
us at the GG outing this fall.
