Lucky break

The storms that have been coming like a freight train from south to north along the Eastern Seaboard have mostly broken around Nanticoke. We've had some moderately heavy rain, but none of the pounding downpours that in the past have caused basement flooding, overwhelmed storm drains, and blown manhole covers off of storm sewers. Other communities just a few miles to either side of us have not been so lucky.

This is a good thing for me. Twice in recent years (in 2006 and again in 2009) I have had to go out in the middle of a storm with a six-foot iron rod in my hand to unclog the storm drain across the street from my house. The last time I did this the standing water in the street was already close to the level of the curbs and was threatening to inundate lawns and driveways. This last time I also had to wade out into the middle of a busy intersection to replace the manhole cover that had been blown off. Fortunately, most drivers are wise enough to steer clear of a very large man dressed all in black holding a six-foot iron rod in one hand in the middle of an intersection in the middle of an electrical storm.

But tonight, for the first time this scheduled rotation, I am going in to work. That means that if any emergencies should arise, if basements need pumping or storm drains need clearing or manhole covers need replacing, I won't be around to do it. So I'm hoping that our luck holds through the night, and the storms continue to break around Nanticoke.