There is something that kept me going through what might have previously brought me to my knees. It was one way we could help and could direct others who also wanted to help. Through that campaign and subsequent donation jars around town, we were able to contribute more than $3,500 to the recovery effort. We created the #Can’tKeepThisGoodTownDown t-shirts, stickers, and magnets. When we felt a little helpless and didn’t know what else to do, we put our design skills to work. We could continue to work on client projects even through this temporary chaos. Fluke? Insight180 art director Bethany Howell was already set up with a workstation at her home, since she often worked remotely with a little one at home, and another on the way. Miraculously, I had taken home the QuickBooks laptop - the only computer that was not backed up on our server - the day before the flood. Fortunately, we had had all of our client files backed up onto a server (and in “the cloud” - something we had done less than nine months earlier! ). And it was all okay.Īnd we would be okay. Ironically, I found myself comforting and calming people who came to check on (or comfort) me, which was an interesting dichotomy, to say the least. Each day, there would come a new challenge, but someone would show up or something would happen, and it would be addressed. Maybe I was in shock, but I remember being hyper-aware of what I “could” do and what didn’t make sense to do - it was clear that worrying helped in no way at all. I will be forever grateful for my meditation routine - no, really - which at this point had been a daily habit for about a year. I would go from moments of panic to great calm - in just a breath. We were really busy and exhausted each day as we tried to figure out what to do next. We couldn’t save 16 years’ worth of samples and job folders. Once we did get into the office space, we couldn’t believe the destruction - large cabinets toppled over, a refrigerator and dish cabinet on their sides, important papers waterlogged and muddy, water damage from all sides. The first look at Main Street was somber - vast areas of the street and sidewalks were simply gone. We ran from one place to another only to wait in line again. We couldn’t get credentials made for staff members and helpers without standing in lots of lines. We couldn’t get to the server that housed our client files. What came next was a stream of “couldn’ts.” We couldn’t get into the office space - even to look into the windows - for days. First reports and photos were unbelievably shocking. Six inches of rain in two hours was unprecedented. I was very present and aware, but I felt grounded and clear. I had felt this way a few other times in my life - often around life-changing experiences. My anxiety spiked and then settled into a calm surrender. While my heart raced, I knew there wasn’t really anything “to do.” Carol and Karin took me home, where I took solace in talking, cooking risotto, and sipping wine. Heartbreaking news stories in the storm’s wake confirmed our worst fears. This was the third flood that would temporarily displace us, but somehow I knew this was different - way worse than before. The inevitable call from the security company, notifying me that the office alarm was going off – which of course meant that either our front door was opened by a rush of water coming in, or water had entered by another means and the motion detector sensed the water, floating furniture, or other movements. Videos of what looked like a river rushing down Main Street. Frantic social media updates as the storm thrashed through. As we tried to get to higher ground, many side roads were already closed. By the time I dragged out the sandbags and got back to the car, my feet were covered with water. Though we decided not to stay, I did swing by the office to put out the sandbags in front of the office door and that of our business neighbor - as I had done so many times for so many storms in the past 16 years. As we drove around Ellicott City, it started pouring and as we looked for parking, it became torrential. It had been a beautiful summer day, with a slight chance of rain in the forecast. My long-time friend Carol would be leading a Sierra Club trip in the fall to Slovenia, so I invited her along for an opportunity to talk to a native. On that Saturday night, I had been in downtown Ellicott City to show a guest from Slovenia, Karin, our quaint little town.
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