CNN 2010-04-07

Nobody can remember anything worse than the flooding right now in Rhode Island. And that's because it's the worst there in 200 years.

Here's more of what we know. The rain has stopped but rivers are only slowly receding¹. Homeland Security secretary, Janet Napolitano, plans to travel to the state tomorrow. The president has already declared most of Rhode Island a disaster area.

And part of I-95 is closed and could stay that way for days as engineers inspect structural² damage and even Amtrak has suspended some service in the northeast corridor.

So say you were told to grab whatever possessions you could hold in your hands and flee your home. But what would you take? Well, that's been the dilemma³ for flooded-out residents in Cranston, Rhode Island.

Our Reynolds Wolf is there with one man's story.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Kyra, I am coming to you from Shaw Plaza⁴ here in Warwick, Rhode Island where there were only just a few puddles⁵ here a few days ago. But now it's got a raging torrent⁶ of water that's coming on through. The flood waters not just here but throughout much of the region.

Now although we've got plenty of damage to businesses here, the stories that we've seen in some places like Cranston, Rhode Island have more of a personal side. Yesterday, we were able to see one man's struggle against the rising waters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF (voice-over): Rhode Island or Eddie Flynn has called this place home for the past 10 years. But he's never seen anything like this. Early Tuesday morning, the neighboring waters of the flooding Pawtuxet River paid him a visit.

EDDIE FLYNN, CRANSTON EVACUEE⁷: About 7:00 yesterday morning is when I spotted⁸ it. And I’d seen all the water. I said, we're in trouble.

WOLF: 24 hours later, his basement was submerged. And with waters rising higher, the rescue boats of the Cranston Fire Department came calling. With only minutes to spare, Ed grabbed what mattered most -- his girlfriend and two puppies -- and was towed to dry land. His loss, overwhelming.

FLYNN: That’s where I lost everything. Once they shut the pumps off, my furniture is under water, hell water, everything.

 

1 receding   

v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题

参考例句：

• Desperately he struck out after the receding lights of the yacht. 游艇的灯光渐去渐远，他拼命划水追赶。 来自辞典例句
• Sounds produced by vehicles receding from us seem lower-pitched than usual. 渐渐远离我们的运载工具发出的声似乎比平常的音调低。 来自辞典例句

2 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

3 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

4 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

5 puddles   

n.水坑， （尤指道路上的）雨水坑( puddle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The puddles had coalesced into a small stream. 地面上水洼子里的水汇流成了一条小溪。
• The road was filled with puddles from the rain. 雨后路面到处是一坑坑的积水。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 torrent   

n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发

参考例句：

• The torrent scoured a channel down the hillside. 急流沿着山坡冲出了一条沟。
• Her pent-up anger was released in a torrent of words.她压抑的愤怒以滔滔不绝的话爆发了出来。

7 evacuee   

n.被疏散的人员，被撤走的人员

参考例句：

• A woman sits motionless at an evacuee center for leaked radiation from the damaged fukushima nuclear facilities friday march 25 2011 in soma fukushima prefecture japan.2011年3月25日星期五，日本福岛县相马市，为福岛核设施泄露而设立的避难中心里，一位妇女一动不动地坐在那里。
• Not quite true,said Tom,a 42-year-old evacuee.但汤姆，一位42岁的避难者，说事实不尽然如此。

8 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。