When I started my current job, they have a little health risk analysis (HRA) you are required to take. If you do, they knock off a bit from your insurance payment. So, on this HRA they have entire section called "Stress and Well-Being". One of the questions of note:

In the last six months, how would you describe your stress level: none, low, moderate, or high.

They go on to explain that moving and new jobs are both factors to higher stress levels. I decided this morning, that I was going to add another one: being evacuated from your apartment and realizing you probably won't be back for a week, at the earliest.

Yesterday morning, they mentioned they were closing the bridge near my apartment on Friday morning, when the water peaked 7.5 m. I thought about it as I was waking up, and just in case, I threw a day pack with some changes of clothes and my bathroom stuff. I started a back up on my laptop but it didn't finish and I left it behind because I was late for work. I mean, it was Wednesday morning, not Friday. And I feel foolish.

At 11:00, they closed down the bridge two down from mine. I'm right on the river, so if the bridge is up, I'm fine. At 14:00, they closed down my bridge. Not because it was flooded, but because the road on the side of it was flooded. I had to make a choice of getting my laptop with all my backups, files, and everything or just not deal with the 3-4 hours it would take to go the 4 km to actually get it. In the end, I decided to leave it behind and just head over to my in-laws who agreed to let me crash there.

Somewhere around 20:00, they shut down the last of the bridges and killed the power to the entire flood plain. Today, they expect more rain, a tornado or three, and rain.

I had a miserable night. I spent hours worrying about money, this move, and my living situations. I was uncomfortable in a new bed in a different house. Every little move woke me up, which didn't help. The massive storm coming through didn't help either. And, with the current storm, they are looking at the crest being pushed back even further. I'm guessing somewhere in Saturday. And with the estimate of 72 hours for the waters to recede and then the inspections after that, I'm guessing that I won't be allowed in my riverfront apartment until Wednesday.

In some ways, I should have grabbed my laptop. I am very glad I decided to be foolish and paranoid and packed my criticals in a bag. Its in the back, because I don't know if the route to my in-laws will get flooded today. Beyond that, I simply don't have clothes to handle an extended trip from the apartment, unless I go home, which I wasn't planning on doing due to lack of monies. I have to trust that the Iowa National Guard protects my apartment, since that area is basically abandoned and they are worried about looters. I have to hope that my apartment is livable (I'm on the 18th, so I should be fine), I realize that I don't have renters insurance (but I should be okay in this case), and basically, I feel adrift, helpless, and breaking.

Needless to say, I didn't do any world development, writing, programming, or gaming.

*sigh* I'm also upgrading my stress level from moderate to yes.