The Yakima flood 96

The Great Flood of '96: A Humorous Look Back

They say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Or maybe a little crazy. Either way, I've got a story about a time I was put to the test. It all started with a flood that hit Yakima back in 1996.

The river overflowed, roads were closed, and to make matters worse, I was stuck at work. I was a waiter at the time, so not only was I stressed about getting home, but I was also stuck in my work uniform – complete with the lingering smell of the restaurant. I didn't have any extra clothes or my swimsuit with me, so I couldn't even relax in the hotel pool that night.

To top it all off, our credit card machines were down because of the flood. Dealing with customers who didn't have exact change was a whole other level of stressful. I'm pretty sure I aged ten years that night.

And let me tell you, cash was king during those few days. Customers without exact change made for some interesting situations.

To make matters worse, only a few of us showed up for work that day. I ended up taking on the roles of several different employees, which was pretty chaotic.

I was basically the waiter, the cashier, the busboy, and the janitor all rolled into one. I don't think I've ever worked so hard in my life. But somehow, through the chaos, I managed to find a little humor in the situation.