Sanford and Saxis Area Hit By Storm (PHOTOS)

29  October 2012 Until Whenever

This is the first thing you see as you turn into the Tall Pines Campground/Sanford, Virginia  The boat has been there for as long as I can remember.  This photo was taken in August  of 2011 shortly after the storm Irene in 2011.  The campground was covered in water at the time as were the few streets of Sanford. 

The photo below was taken after Hurrican Sandy. 

It is the same boat as the one above but the waters from this  storm rushed across the campgrounds towards Saxis Road  upsetting the boat from its perch, turning it around  and sending it to sail towards the campground.  Tall Pines, a small community  itself,  has suffered great damage.

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The road to Sanford and Saxis were extremely flooded and I knew in the early evening of the storm that all of us were in danger when I witnessed a police officer (trying to turn around in our driveway) hit the ditch.  The winds were howling and the rain was so great there was  hardly no way to see.  During normal times my husband would have been to his rescue and have him pulled from the ditch in no time.  But then, during normal times none of this would have happened.  Four police officers and a rescue truck came to the officers aid and I could tell by the waters being well above their ankles that at some point very soon no one in their capacity would be able to help any of us.  I knew that if there were to be a horrific tragedy that night none of those rescue volunteers would be able to help us and it would be through no fault of their own.  You can't drive rescue vehicles through knee deep waters.  No one should expect them to. EVER.

This whole evening and the evening was a blur.  The electric went out early and the only way we could see was by the dim light from the full moon.  But what we could see was the tide- yes tide- rising in our own backyard.  My husband has been living in this spot since he was a young teen....myself a few years now.  We have seen many nor'easter's come and go leaving only water from the heavy rains to stand in our yard.  This night was so different and it was after the pine trees fell and my husbands voice that I became extremely frightened for only the second time in my life.



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My guess is that with the full moon, the winds blowing the tide water from the bay was pushed into all the nieghborhoods filling the deep ditches on all sides of all of us causing the waters to continue into our own yard.  You could almost see it moving and it stopped just about 30 feet from entering our garage.

It was in the morning that I learned that  the Sheriff's Dept. along with the Natural Recources Dept. personel  would be trying to access Sanfor/Saxis with an airboat.  Occurances back here like that are rare.  When you witness the National Guard passing your home you just simply know they are there to aid those that did not fair very well during the storm. 

There was no way anyone could get through to these people.  Not all the waters had subsided.  The stories that you hear concerning water in homes up to the window sills is so true.  So many homes are water marked from the tides.  So many residents in these areas witnessed water running out of their windows.  Some made signs to be rescued but couldn't be heard from the howling winds and pelting rain - IF anyone was out.



Waters actually were waist deep, chest deep.  Fish really DO swim in that water during a storm. 

Photo/ Skylar Reed

I snagged this photo from the internet (above) so show you what Sanford looked like on the 30th of October.  Possibly this could be on either side of the storm because I am convinced that waters rose much highter.  But keep in mind that not only were Sanford and Saxis under water but the other areas surrounding us also.

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Hard to believe that the road crews used snow plows to push the sea grass and debris to the sides of the roads just like they do with pushing snow after a storm.   "Drifts" of sea grass and pine needles line the roads.



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Some residents were out looking at the damages surrounding them.  Some had already hung their items out to dry.  Some were raking their yards and I am sure wondering what in the world some of the items were that had washed into their yards.  Their clothing, rugs and other essential items hung on cords zagzagging around their yards.  Some children searched for lost toys and even though I love to take photos my heart would not allow me to photograph their devastation.  I had only lost two pine trees in the 24 hours I was inconvenienced.  These people, many older, had lost all their worldly possessions.



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The above photos were taken the day before Sandy by my husband.  The dock is still completely there.  The barriers are still at the shore line and the little red crab house that I have always adored is still standing at the base of the churning waters.  I loved this little crab house and the dock.  It was always the place to go to capture some of the most amazing sunsets.  In the warm summer evenings you could hear the sounds of water that washes over the pealer crabs.  Not really a sound that is worth remarking about but it always made me aware of what this tiny town was all about.  And in the days ahead I would begin to hope that people would know that this tiny, quiet town would be about so much more.



Photo Martha Jane Linton

The photo above was captured by Martha Jan Linton.  My photo of this was blurred and I am certain she won't mind my using it to show how the small community she works so hard to keep together has been treated by the wind and waters of Sandy. 





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Part of the dock that the late Mayor Charles Tull loved so well was washed into the waters and the little red crab house is gone.  I should mention here that the current Mayor of Saxis, Denise Drewer is doing all she can to help her residents and has included the Sanford area as well.  Many people in the past few days have reached out to the areas and now lend a hand in the extensive clean up.

The sunsets are still there but the surroundings have changed dramatically.









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Straight ahead- the Bay.  Road to the left is Savannah Road.  Road to the right at the stop sign is Belinda.  Homes were greatly damaged in this area as well.

And again the sea grass lines the yards and for right now lays as lawns in yards covering the green grasses from summer.   These are the other neighbors of the area.  Homes damaged by waters too.  A boat from the area nearby even washed away in the tide and perched itself on the causeway leading to Saxis.  A swimming pool in a neighbors yard had water standing up to the rim of the pool itself.





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Photographer unknown

Through the past days vans such as this one and so many  kind hearted people have been to Sanford and Saxis to assist the people with the massive cleanup.  Please know that all of you are appreciated for every thing you have done and continue to do.

I will report more later.