Rain and Flooding in the NW

[Grumpy]

Not a pretty picture:-

http://wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts/PugetSound.aspx

Take care out there.

Merv

[C-Hawk]

How is Ebie Island doing
I remember the rains of '88 (I think) coming home between Darrington to Arlington- we were running single file down past Whitehorse with the water at least 12" deep over the road.
My son and I had been back up the Whitechuck hunting deer when the rain started. We took refuge that night at the old Forest Service horse stables. Next day, when it got light enough to see, we headed home.

You guys take care up there.

[starcrafttom]

DaveS, was that you rescueing the gas station in the hoovercraft? Next time smile for the camera. If any one here inthe north end gets cut of or flooded out I have a red neck guest house( camper) all ready to go. Roger- I tryed to call earlier but your cell must be off. give me a call if you need anything.

[DaveS]

Roger, Ebey Island is in our fire district and surprisingly we've not been dispatched to any problems there. One of the guys drove by there today and said that the water was close to coming over the dike.

Tom, no that wasn't me on the Hovercraft, but I did hear that call being dispatched out. They managed to get her out without difficulty. TV news footage showed the Dennys Restaurant a few doors down from that gas station with water that appeared high enough to have entered the restaurant.

The Stillaguamish River did breach the dike next to SR 530 just west of town and the North Bound on ramp to I-5 at Island Crossing was and may still be closed.

[Doryman]

When I moved to Anacortes in the summer of '06, the winters of '06 and '07 were, everyone kept telling me, NOT NORMAL. Now you're telling me the winter of '08 is normal? I don't think so!

Sure am glad I'm on the opposite corner of the country but my thoughts are with you guys...

Warren

[hardee]

DaveS my hat's off to you and your guys there. hang in there buddy and stay safe.

Jim, Congrats on the new "Turn and run" route. Is this looking to be permanent?

Looks like the pineapple express is running out for now. could be a few days of drying. (For the none Seattlites out there that means less than an inch of rain a day) for the weekend and into next week. here comes that summer

Harvey
SleepyC

[DaveS]

Not only do individuals suffer in these floods, but so do the businesses. The little town of Silvana was hit hard, the wooden floor of the dance hall there buckled from the water damage. The Turkey House at Island Crossing suffered considerable damage and after talking to the owner today, will not be able to open for approximately another 4 days. The Denny's managed to get a clean bill of health from the health department and reopened today.
The businesses that normally compete for customers in this area even pitched in to help each other. The volunteer fire departments from Silvana, Getchell and Arlington Heights washed the mud off the parking lots of most of the businesses at Silvana and Island Crossing this afternoon and evening. That is what I REALLY like about living in a rural area, everyone pitches in and helps each other out.

It is really too bad that the shysters in the big corporations of this country aren't as sensitive and caring for the hard working folks that they are taking advantage of and raking in their big bucks.....sorry folks, but just had to throw that "dig" in because I'm not real happy about how the government bails out some of these firms while their CEO's make exorbitant salaries and perks.

[hardee]

DaveS said:

".....I'm not real happy about how the government bails out some of these firms while their CEO's make exorbitant salaries and perks."

Well said,

Agree, seems like the bailout is mostly for the Big, and the rest of us are left to our own devices. Each one help one and pass it on.

Harvey
SleepyC

[Ron on Meander]

I hope things are starting to settle down in Washington. It sounds like things are pretty extreme. Here in BC the flooding is starting to happen but not to the level its happening there. We have had numerous roads closed due to snow and mud slides. In fact I owe a big thanks to whomever it is that maintains the road is eastern/middle Washington. Anne and I were heading back to Vancouver fom Calgary via Highway three in BC on tuesday. About halfway back the snow started in earnest. Within a couple of hours the road had over 8 inches of snow and visibility was nil. We ended up in the small town Castlegar after we were turned back because of avalanches. The next day we found out that all roads out of town, north, south, east and west were closed because of avalanches or mudslides. We waited for two days for the roads to open and finally decided to head south to Washington to make our way to Vancouver. The roads in Washington were in excellent condition so it was a great way to visit a part of the state we had not visited before. I sure hope that all the snow that has fallen in the mountains doesn't head for the coast too quick. There has been huge snowfalls recently. Hope all the Washington Brats stay safe and dry.
Ron

[El and Bill]

Science News had an interesting story today, based on analysis by meteorologists, to help explain the recent heavier snow and rain in the Pac NW. The north Pacific Ocean has warmed during the past few years. Thus overlying air contains more moisture and when cooled drops more rain or (with winter cold fronts) more snow.

Thus climate change, while raising average global temperatures, also may bring more snow, harder rain, or heat waves to the NW, the meteorologists say.

Computer models based on climate data from nine countries indicate every place on the planet will be hit with extreme weather events, of which the recent coastal storms and floods are an example.

For those in the SW the drought continues and is apparently related to the same change in weather patterns.