Here’s to all those who fought the storm and won

THURSDAY MORNING EDITORIAL — Well, maybe the headline’s a bit dramatic, but it was quite the day Wednesday, and the bad weather might not be over yet. Let us hope, though, that we don’t have another deluge like that one.

While most of us were happy to go home and dry off, a lot of other people were still out there last night and today cleaning up the mess.

During the storm, all the people we rely on were quick on the job, rescuing those who got stranded in the flash flooding, keeping the power on and generally maintaining order in the midst of the downpour. People like City of Kamloops crews, Hydro, Kamloops Fire and Rescue and police.

After the storm passed, the City guys were clearing out storm lines and clearing the mess away from the south end of Overlanders Bridge to get traffic moving again. And there was the slide on the Yellowhead out by Sun Rivers.

The people who keep the system working during such times deserve a lot of admiration.

But there were a few heros among ordinary people, as well, helping each other out, pushing and pulling cars through the flooding. And here’s to the intrepid souls at the Downtown Merchants Market who helplessly watched their tents blow away but scrambled to collect their goods and belongings and will probably return today.

Today will be a day for assessing damages and there will be a lot of that as more than a few have to deal with wet basements, downed trees and washed-out yards and driveways.

It’s not an adventure we’ll want to repeat soon, but there’s nothing that builds community more effectively than adversity — or proves our ability to get through.