Eight year old Allie Henderson returns home from school early to find a note from her mother saying she has taken Allie's brother to the hospital for safety and will return to pick up Allie soon. Allie hears a roaring sound and goes to the front door and opens it, only to be caught up in the flood waters which have resulted from days of rain. Allie is initially terrified until she remembers to use her grandfather's practical principles to help guide her through to safety. Then she meet Tula, a blind African-American woman who is alone and lost and in need of assistance. Together Allie and Tula make their way to Tula's house where Allie's nightmare threatens her very survival.