this whole town is underwater!
September 19, 2003, 9:42 am

I'm okay. The Great State of Maryland? Not so much.

I am relieved I can type this now. I have power.

There are 250,000 people in Anne Arundel County who aren't so lucky.

Downtown Annapolis? All those quaint bars and shops? Underwater. The Naval Academy? Underwater. The restaurant where my sister works? Underwater.

Downtown Baltimore, the Inner Harbor? Underwater. The 5 story Barnes & Noble, Phillips, Hooters, the Cheesecake Factory, the first ESPN Zone, Hard Rock Cafe, the Gallery? Underwater!

No word on the stadiums yet; I think they're okay.

Fells Point and Federal Hill...the hundreds of bars that I love to frequent? Underwater.

Last night at 1:00am, loads of Marylanders went to sleep thinking, "Phew, the worst is over" and then were awakened to the unmistakable sound of rushing water near their heads.

I'm okay, and my family is okay. My dad is a bit stressed, though. He's an insurance agent. He insures a good chunk of the homes in Annapolis and Baltimore that are underwater currently. We're watching the news, and Dad is doing a count of cars.

"Jess, look, 13, 14, 15...15 cars totalled on that street ALONE. How many thousands of dollars is that?"

If you don't have flood insurance on your house, GET IT. The insurance company doesn't owe you a DIME for water damage during a hurricane if you don't have it.

You learn something new every day.

Please say a prayer or bow to mother nature or whatever you need to do for the people who are really in trouble right now, for the people who have lost their homes for a long, long time. Check to make sure epiphany is okay. Thanks!