A local sheriff's department is issuing a warning to boaters about the result of the flooding in the area. Debris, some being huge trees, may be right under the surface, or not seen in the chop caused by the wind. It's a good warning, since many don't realize what can be in the water.
After Hurricane Rita, the local forests were exposed to winds not seen in many decades. Deadfalls were sometimes almost unimaginable, and when torrential rains caused floods the nest Spring, the waters was high enough to float complete large trees into the waterways. With two large rivers merging into the ship channel, I watched some of these floating hazards pass by when I worked in a local industrial facility adjacent to the channel. Some of the trees looked large enough to damage a ship's propeller.
The floods clean away the debris in the forests. With the last severe drought last Summer, there is plenty of new deadfall to wash away. This will last for weeks, if not months, and some boaters will find their lack of attention leads to hoping someone will pass by to tow them back to the dock.
Another reason to stay on dry land :)
ReplyDeleteI agree. I had a boat malfunction years ago, when a friend decided to tinker with the carburetor. It took a few hours to finally get it running right again, left us navigating the ship channel in the dark, and his wife cursing him for his error. Our can of repellent didn't last long. She, and their toddler son, were covered in mosquito bites, when we finally made it off the water.
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