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Beth Rodda's avatar

That ‘86 flood was something else. They had just paved the Yountville cross road. The flood waters just picked up a strip 20’ long by 4” thick new asphalt and moved it about 20’ south. That was also the year I got caught in the flood coming back from visiting an artist friend in residence at Montalvo. I was zipping up 29 just ahead of road closures. Got to Zinfandel only to find I couldn’t get into St Helena. So I took Zinfandel across the valley. Toward the end the road had water on it, but I watched a Miata drive through it. I figured if a Miata could make it, so could I in a slightly larger car. Deer Park and Silverado Trail was flooded so I took Conn Valley, but decided not to try Old Howell Mountain. I ended up leaving my car at Rick Foreman’s place and trudged over Mund Road only to find a huge downed tree blocking Deer Park. A friend and my landlord were sitting on the other side of the tree, waiting to rescue me. I clamored over the tree and eventually made it home to a warm, dry house. (Those were the days when PG&E actually maintained power through rough storms.) It only occurred to me several years later that I had actually driven through the Napa River. (This was also before the slogan “Turn around, don’t drown.” Was prevalent.)

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