The Fernley Flood came like a thief in the night, stealing not only people's possessions but, sometimes, their health and peace of mind as well as what might be one of their most precious quantities " time from their lives.
Bill and Gayle Kretschmer, a senior couple who live on Cook Lane, were awakened when a tub floating in four feet of water began banging against their house in the dark morning hours of Jan. 5, 2008.
Bill, a man who might well have retired nearly 10 years ago and was planning to do so in early January, was one of many who had to change their plans.
The Kretschmers' house, one of the first to be hit by the water, was flooded in Gayle's writing room, the garage and beneath the floor of the rest of the structure.
The water ruined the duct system and insulation. A lifetime collection of research and manuscripts (for novels Gayle, an author, planned to publish) was destroyed along with the computer, printer and other equipment in the room. Books, pictures and irreplaceable objects were gone or unsalvageable.
Their one-acre lot was covered in sludge, up to 3 feet of it in places. With the water rising and the electricity out, they couldn't call for help. When they felt they had to escape, there was no way out. Their driveway had been cut in two and landscape timbers were blocking their vehicles.
"We were stranded in here," Gayle said.
The Kretschmers rescued what pets they could and, when daylight finally came, found their three horses still alive and standing on a high spot in the middle of a huge lake. All fences were down. The task seemed to be moving the horses to safety.
With the help of volunteers, Bill Kretschmer set out to do just that. During the struggle with the horses in the flood water he found himself dunked in the icy waters several times. Gayle is convinced he suffered hypothermia.
"Help didn't come until we finally got the power back and called to see where we could take our horses," Gayle said.
The Kretschmers have lived in their home for more than 12 years. This was the second time Gayle experienced the water breaching the canal.
"The first time the water missed us. I saw it running down toward Farm District Road," Gayle said.
The second flood destroyed everything in the Kretschmers' garage as well as the garage door and damaged the structure. It took almost everything in her writing room. It damaged the air conditioning unit outside the house along with most of their landscaping, out buildings, a camp trailer and horse trailer. And the overabundance of sludge had to be scraped away before they could begin any restoration.
Because Bill was still employed, the government considered their income above the limit to qualify for federal or state assistance. They felt lucky to receive help from LDS church members, friends and family.
When the Fernley Long Term Recovery Team formed, they received help with their yard, flooring for their small outbuilding and a new garage door. After it was determined that the clean-up underneath their house had left silt beneath the bedroom carpets, the Long Term Recovery Team even replaced the carpeting.
"We had to throw rugs away in other areas at the very start of the cleanup," Gayle said. "But, we really appreciate the help we got."
"Just materials alone have cost us over $15,000. That's not counting all the labor and items lost that can't be replaced," Bill said.
When asked if their lives were back to normal the response was, "No. We'll never feel like things are normal again," both Bill and Gayle agreed. Gayle, who suffers from a breathing problem along with other medical issues, believes she now endures Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as well as having her other medical problems aggravated by the flood residue.
"I don't sleep at night," Gayle said.
"We keep getting up and checking on things," Bill said.
"I guess, at first, we were in shock. Then we were overwhelmed," Gayle explained.
Even the Kretschmers' pets seemed to suffer the effects of contamination requiring the dogs and cats to be put on extended doses of steroids.
"I feel like a year went out of our lives," Bill said.
When asked when he might be able to retire since the flood changed his plans, Bill laughed and said, "Probably never."
Nevada Appeal News Service
FERNLEY " Hundreds of awakening Fernley residents discovered several feet of standing water in their homes after the Truckee Canal was breached on the morning of Jan. 5, 2008.
The result caused numerous subdivisions to flood in the city and displaced more than 1,000 residents.
The canal brings water from the Truckee River, starting east of Sparks to Fallon.