My best friend and her kids (and other family from Cali) were in Flagstaff, visiting from Louisiana and got caught in a flood. They were renting a house when the dam burst and the house flooded. She nearly made it out in her Tahoe when a log floated in front of her and got her stuck. The rescue truck came and got all of them out, then had to be towed out themselves as they got stuck.

She's in a hotel with no clothes other than what's on her back and four of the eight of them have no shoes. Someone gave them socks to warm their feet up and they are all alive. In fact, when she called, I asked what was wrong...I could hear it in her voice...."I'm alive" was her answer.

The good news is that her insurance company is paying for everything she needs and her Tahoe, whether it's salvageable or not.

For me, the best news is that she's alive.

I was in the "flood of '93" and saw **** that would make you go home at night and hug your family. I volunteered sandbagging and rescue. It happened so fast that a lot of people got trapped in their homes. Then there was the stupid ones who tried to drive across rushing water or stay with their homes out of fear of looting.

I did track down the body of a victim rushing down the river. Funny how a manikin looks real in muddy water.