Caroline Jimenez

Written Memory

August 17, 2017

Watching full grown cottonwood trees floating down the creek and a car. Creek was to top of bank but not over yet. An aunt showed up to make my mother leave house. She wasn't going to - finally left home with a dog and her puppies, myself and mother. Aunt lived on Taylor Ave. so we went there and stayed. We had been gone for about a half hour or less when my mother decided to go back to house to get a T.V. and some clothes. The water was already up to New York St. so she had to turn around and come back. Remember a night of lightning, thunder, and hearing people screaming for help and seeing fires burning on the water. We lost everything but what we had on our backs. But we were alive. When we were allowed to go back to see if the house was there - you had to walk in. The smell was one of death and sewer, gas smells. I was 13 years old. The house was totally gone. No pictures no anything. But the phone would ring when we would call the number. Guess it was under a ton of mud. Just glad no one ever answered it. (Humor) It rang for well over a year later. Must say it was odd.