Agnes?

The flooding around the East Coast is just terrible. The speed at which the water rises from the streams and rivers in PA would astonish Superman.

All the inevitable comparisons to Agnes are warranted, but a bit annoying in that the devastation is not NEARLY as awful as that horrible flood of 1972. I guess my annoyance is mainly directed at my fellow Berks Countians who keep recounting "Well, Agnes made it to Fourth Street, and this water only made it to Third Street," or "Agnes came up to our front porch stoop, and the water here is only to the sidewalk."

Dear Ones, Agnes took away not only the WHOLE TOWN that I lived in, but all of WYOMING VALLEY. Those whose homes were not affected were affected in that they had no water, no electricity, had to take in relatives, had to help clean up the stinkin' mud, had to get shots to avoid illness spawned by the mud, had to live through much of the trauma. The poor people who became homeless or lost loved ones suffered all the more.

I don't think this even comes close, sorry. I know the situation was different here, so most Readingites don't have that sore spot on their psyche. I was 11 and 1/2 when my hometown was destroyed and that little girl will never forget the river pushing powerful water through its banks and the mountains of sandbags. That little girl will never forget the looters that came in waves almost like the floodwaters. That little girl will never forget the horror of caskets bobbing about in the flooded streets. That little girl will never forget the smell of the mud. That little girl will never forget taking in an estranged homeless grandfather.

I wish all those affected by the floodwaters the best. I am thankful that it was not the worst it could have been.