Still not prepared for a flood I am the fourth generation to live in the house on the banks of the Kennebec in Hallowell. I had heard my grandmother's stories about the flood of 1936 and had seen the river swallow the backyard every spring. I knew what the river was capable of but I was not prepared for the events of April 1, 1987.

I awoke that morning and walked out on the back deck and knew we were in trouble, the water was rising fast. I got my daughter off to school and called my brother to help us move what we could to the second level. My father had just had knee surgery and was unable to assist and we had an elderly couple living upstairs that did not want to leave the home.

We had moved a few items upstairs and by the time I had returned to the kitchen the water was swirling around my ankles, and I knew it was time to abandon ship. We finally convinced the couple upstairs to leave but by then the front steps had floated away. My husband was standing at the front door wondering what to do next when a Hallowell police officer drove by. Without hesitation he backed the police cruiser up to front door and my husband jumped on the trunk. He returned with a pick up truck and we were able to get everyone out safely.

When the water receded and we were able to enter the home again the damage was beyond belief. There was six inches of silt on the floor, the walls had collapsed, and we had lost everything. We didn't have flood insurance but thanks to the generosity of the Salvation Army, American Red Cross, family, friends, co-workers, and total strangers were able to start over.

Mary Vinton

Hallowell