The Friday Night Storm

Friday night I woke up looked out the window and sighed the rain was coming down in sheets. I go to the bathroom and precede to get dressed while I'm figuring out what exactly to wear, I can hear the rain just pounding on the rooftop of this apartment building. This is not going to be a good night. I find my work boots that I have saturated with so much scotch guard, I think I've used two cans on them. Then I force my boots into the rubber rain shoes, it took me awhile to figure out how to tie my laces once I got rubbers over them. I put on an old sweatshirt that I didn't care if it got ruined , I knew I'd be living in my raincoat so I didn't want to get too hot and work up a sweat. This is the funny part, I don't go to far w/o my ballcap so I didn't want "IT" wet and the blue dye running into my eyes, I find a small plastic bag and fit it to my cap. Check my pockets, yep everything is there chapstick, change for phonecall, like who would be up at 3 a.m.? Now I am ready to wiggle into my yellow overalls. I don't like the straps up around my shoulders so I tie 'em off at the waist, I look like ElleMay of the Clampets dressed in yellow. Friday night was a big party night and there were lots of people all around , I know I looked funny, I felt funny fact I felt plain out stupid, why would anyone be out in this mess! Why am I out here? We had a small window of no rain, I fuel my truck , pre-trip it, check the lights ,the wipers hunt down a few dry towels and a couple of flashlights. Now mind you , "I'm No Stranger To The Rain" Keith Whitly, I've driven proffessionaly for 25 years, I'm use to inclement weather but this storm takes the cake! On the first part of the journey, it was ok we were able to get a 1/4 of the night done and get to a spot were we'd be trapped for 2 hours while the rain just pelted us. We were about ten blocks from the ocean and it looked like the ocean coming up the street wave after wave and the wind, oh the wind we could hear trees givinng way to the forces of the storm all around us, Pow! crack creakkk shuss oump! The firetrucks patroled the streets quietly trying to sorta acess the damage it was too early. Daylight was too be delayed due to the heavy black cloud over the area. We finished up just as the last shopping cart got airborne and flew pass us. I sat in the cab and made notes on my paperwork, stalling for time hoping that there would be a break in the action. I so didn't want to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge with wind gust any where from 45-60mph. Usually, I don't get demanding but tonight I Told my helper I wanted him to buckle his seatbelt, if we get into a tight spot I would not have time to push him back into his seat. He falls asleep the second he sits down and he has fallen out of that seat more times than I care to recall. So buckle up and go to sleep, please. Traveling at maxium speed limit that night due to road conditions was I'd guess maybe 40, there were tree tops strecthing out into the roads. I saw this from a distance so I put my hazards on and the five cars behind me moved over to the next lane, then they saw the tree down one car actually thanked me for alerting them do the danger by doing his lights. That was nice, your welcomed I mumbled. The rain is now coming down at two inches per hour, and the drains can't handle it. Water is standing every palace. We heard of one story the guy drove into a puddle that had not been marked yet and in 12 minutes the car was submerged and he had to break the back window to escape just as his car floated off. Across the bridge we go, I take a deep breath, it wasn't untill we reached the other side the Marin side that I exhaled and thanked God for getting us safely across. No street lights, so dark and where is morning? There is an area that is prone to flooding even on a good day I knew it would be bad there but what I saw was beyond belief. Now you know my truck sits up high and we can get thru most everything, not tonight . Nope the wheels of the truck where covered in water. Thank the officals for posting a road block and we weren't allowed to enter. We head north toward Novato, it isn't much better, the levy behind the hospital has breached and crews are scrambling to shore it up. We make it in and out just as the river begins to flow over it's banks. My helper looks at me and says; "Oh my". We see cars being escorted by the highway patrole thru the five foot water. Caltrans crews dragging trees out of the streets, PG&E trucks trying to keep up with the storm. We get back to San Francisco, fire trucks are headed to the area we just came from, it is defintely the storm of record. We made it in one piece a little wet, and defintely weary.