CONTINUED... “I reached my daughter in New York City. She reached my husband. He and my son were trapped with several other cars on an o昀昀-ramp. They were in about a foot of mud, but 昀椀rst responders had reached them and told them to shelter in place. “My car started feeling unstable, so I climbed into the tree. My husband called our friend, Dave, who lives nearby. He drove as close to my location as he could, and 昀氀agged down a 昀椀reman and a neighbor. There was about 20 feet of fast-moving, debris- 昀椀lled water between my tree and the nearest house. “[The 昀椀remen] found two ladders in nearby garages, and they put both ladders in the debris 昀氀ow and ‘walked’ them to me, reversing the process to get me out. Dave and I walked through waist deep mud to his van and then to his house. “We sat in the dark scanning our phones for news. Good friends were missing, reports of major destruction began 昀椀ltering in, and rescue helicopters 昀氀ew overhead non-stop. It was a long two hours before my husband and son, mud-soaked and exhausted, walked up the street to Dave’s house. We were thrilled to be reunited, but along with the rest of our community, mourn the loss and destruction.” 13