I don't remember that one... There was a terrible flood in Richmond, VA in August 2004 that I remember well. Associated with Hurricane Gaston. Flooded downtown badly. The big businesses lost millions, anchor stores lost their first floors. Thalheimers, Sears, Major Jewelry Stores. They moved stock upstairs, but shelving, carpet, lighting, infrastructure, covered in feet of foul mud. Roadsand buildings collapsed.
My patrol partner had a young son home from college who had borrowed his custom pickup while he was in town. Custom interior, custom sound system, custom wheels and tires, major engine work, and high dollar high polished purple paint.
My partner told him NOT to drive the truck during the storm, and NOT to go visit his friends at his old job in the River District. They are calling for flooding downtown!
Kids...
never listen.
We are in our ready room, waiting for evening patrol briefing to start. The news playing on the TV, they show a purple pickup go floating down the street and into the James River. We laugh, "Raymond, there goes your truck."
"Can't be my truck, it's home in my garage." He laughs.
Truck spins in the current, nose down, tail up, plate is now visible.
"THAT'S my truck!"
He never forgave the kid. Every time they do a flood retrospective, they show his custom purple pickup floating down the city street, then in the James River spinning in the current. Always with some comment about what a nice truck it is.
Pause... Was.
He gets mad all over again.
