Beware the Rain

Everyone was talking about the rain that was headed to Doha last week.  Honestly we listened but..really, rain? I mean how bad could it be? Last time I ever take that lightly, that's for sure. Robert and I left for school and before we had been gone 20 minutes Robert gets a text from Mike ".How is the rain?""Just sprinkles. Nothing really."    Robert chats back and forth with Mike for a bit and goes on and on about the flooding. Still on sprinkles for us.  I make sure Mike gets some pictures.  Although the commute took a few minutes longer than usual, it still wasn't bad.  And then I headed home...  Mike calls me, "Can you pull over to the side and I will come get you in the Expedition?" "No, but really it's raining now but the road isn't bad." "It's a mess over by the house. " "Well, I am coming up to the roundabout on Al Bustan.  I think I am ok. "  Wrong.  I couldn't see from where I was at that minute but 10 seconds later as I pulled into line behind the car headed into the roundabout I could see the water collecting on the other side of the median. Then a car stalled. The water was washing over the hubcaps and sloshing even higher as cars maneuvered passed.  The water on my side was rising as the rain continued and I waited for my turn to go.   Mike called. "You ok?" "Ummm, no, meet me at Java U. I will park and you come get me. Gotta go. Moving again. "  By this time I could hear the waves slapping the doors and under the car.  I imagined my blue honda civic floating into the Landcruisers next to me.  "God. Get me home. Please God. Get me home. "  Just let me get thru this roundabout. Slosh, slosh, slosh. All the video clips of cars floating down streets running thru my mind. "Please. Please. Move cars. Move. "  Finally it was my turn. The cars coming around were sending up spray right to the windshield.   15 minutes later I made it to Java U. I was shaking.  The coffee shop was full of wet customers. Most of them were there after picking up their kids from the school around the corner. The school was flooded so they closed it.   Mike made it to the coffee shop and as we drank our coffee we talked about my adventure.  Ding. Text from Robert. "School closed. Can you come get me? " So off we went. This time in Mike's car. Much better.  Finally, we arrived back home with Robert.  I had been gone for 4 hours.  On a 25 minute commute. Next time they warn me about the rain here..I'm gonna take Mike's car. Or he's going to do the driving.   Just glad it only rains about 3 times a year.      

This is our garage. Mike took this less than 20 minutes after we left. It was dry. (dates are wrong on the photos. i should fix that....)