[Bob Pr.]

Gosh!, here in Kansas we've sure had enough severe weather and thunderstorms the last several days but the weather forecasts predict about 4-5 more days. This morning I had to cut our walk short despite many detours because water was over my 12" rubber boottops on many level fields. The area with 8-10 soccer field lay-outs that were to be used today for the girls' Governor's Cup soccer tournament looked like a lake this morning.

My Bess used to get so anxious with severe thunderstorms that we'd give her 5 mg. Valium to ease her through the bad ones.

Puff, also, doesn't like them much better but her symptoms are far less extreme.

We've had 4, maybe more, rounds already today and now another band is coming over. When Puff's lying next to me on the bed, she quickly jumps down and snuggles in her bed on the floor beside mine. I think that's on the Labrador theory that if thunder descends from above, it'll encounter me first and surely I'll make it go away.

But when the thunder gets particularly loud and repetitive, she abandons being near me and retreats to a nearby bathroom which was designed as a storm shelter with 4" thick reinforced concrete walls, roof, and floor.

Good instincts.

For those of you also in this current band of severe weather across our South to North USA midsection, how are your Labs taking all the noise and flashing lights?

 

[nick_charles1]

My kids are ok. Stay safe, sounds like Kansas is getting the worst of it.

 

[jzgrlduff]

Bob, is everything OK today? I saw on the news this morning all the twisters that went through KS. One whole town was wiped out.

 

[Bob Pr.]

We're certainly not anywhere near as hard hit as Greensburg (at least not yet!) but Northeast and East Central Kansas have been hit by flooding. It's rained for 3-4 days and then we got 7.5" in the last 24 hours and predictions of 5 more days of rain.

This morning I heard that 430 Topeka families have been evacuated and I'm sure it's worse in many nearby towns with peaceful small streams now out of their banks. All city and areas schools have been closed due to the flooding.

A small stream, "the Shunga" (aka the Shuganunga) meanders W to E across Topeka about 15 blocks south of the hub of the city. Usually it's maybe a foot deep and 12 feet wide. This morning it's about 18-24 feet higher and closing off many N-S city arteries. The area in which Puff and I usually walk, a nature preserve, borders the Shunga and the Shunga is now about a half mile wider at the expense of the nature preserve.

Many nearby towns built near normally quiet small stream are having even worse flooding.

Fortunately, I have a life vest for Puff, some for myself and neighbors, and a sailboat on a trailer just in case we should need it. ;D (But just joking about needing it.)

 

[myfavoritedog]

Hope it gets better soon. Sounds like Kansas is really catching the brunt of all this.

 

[BudGirl8]

Bob, glad you guys are hanging in there.

We just moved into a two story town house and we all sleep on the second story...the wind is WHIPPING up there and I think that worries Billie more than the thunder and lightening do. Anything that bangs or rattles like a door slamming or being knocked on is cause for an alert. She's sleeping in her crate for now until she gets settled in the new house so I can hear her shifting around but other than that she's not freaking out.

The walks are light quicksand. I sank in to my ankles this morning and so did Billie. I think we're at 5 inches as of 6 am and we're forecast for at least another 2 today and another .5 each day for the rest of this week.

I miss the sun.

Stay safe everyone.