Last night I lay awake listening to the pouring rain. There were flashes of lightening, rolling thunder.
I always fear that the big tree in our garden will come crashing down onto our house during these storms and tell myself that I will definitely get around to doing something about it in the morning - ie get a tree specialist in to cut it - but never do. At around 4am I went around the house closing the kids' bedroom windows. The rain had already come in. The foot of our eldest's bed was soaked.
It's funny but the water leaks through the roof in different places each time, depending on the direction in which the storm is blowing. One day it was the little attic/office (last week drying out the scruffy carpet was a challenge and the room stank of damp for days), another time it was my daughter's bedroom. Last night rain dripped in and down onto the base drum that forms part of my daughter's drum kit. It made quite an impressive sound.
As usual, I lay awake at night thinking of how people in Nairobi are managing with their temporary houses. Whether Kawangware or Kibera is getting washed away.
In fact heavy rains have caused havoc in Kenya over the past week. Flood warnings have been issued in various areas across the country from coast province to Turkana. Numbers of people feared dead as a result of flooding and landslides are climbing. In Uganda, a landslide wiped out two villages.
Last week Samburu park was flooded when the Ewaso Nyiro River burst its banks. Bridges were washed away. In the early hours of the morning, tourists apparently fled their tents/bandas and sought refuge up trees and on lodge roofs as water levels rose suddenly and flooded through the camps. Many lost their belongings, some were injured. The Royal Airforce, Kenyan and UK army airlifted people to safety. I understand that Lewa conservancy staff were also helping with rescue efforts. Intrepids, Larsens and Serena lodges in Samburu have now all temporarily closed down.
