Thursday, January 8, 2009

Severe Flooding In Western Washington

Maybe you've seen this photograph in the news already. (I borrowed it.)

Fortunately, the City of Kent is not flooded THAT badly (the image is probably from 30 miles south of here). Yet there are more than a few roads closed around here due to flooding and it's already worse than the floods we endured last year -- as more sections of I-5 are now closed.

Four years ago, I felt very strongly driven, psychically and emotionally, to buy a house up on the highest hill in South King County. I was worried about even worse flooding and lava-flow from Mt. Rainier -- should that volcano act up again; as scientists keep saying is going to happen.

Now I'm so thankful for that intuitive prompting as much of Western Washington is now under water thanks to the sudden temperature increase (weather in the 50s) which rapidly melts snow from the foot-hills. They say that "shit always runs downhill" and with the sudden flooding from the mountains, we have also been experiencing a week-long constant pelting of drizzling rain. Happily, the clouds defied the weather forecast for more rain this morning and just finally eased up. I can actually see much lighter-gray skies instead of the really dark stuff.

DOWN IN JACKSON HOLLOW:
Four of my siblings and our mother all live 4-miles from my place. They continue living as neighbors in five separate houses down on Big Soos Creek (where I also used to live, in Auburn, until my father passed more than ten years ago).

I called my family last night to invite them to spend the night on blow-up mattresses, in the warmth and safety of Dougs and my rambler-home. I would have offered them the guest bedroom if it wasn't already occupied by my son Greg & his wife Skye.

My big brother felt they would make it through the night without having to grow fins; but, just in case, those who live on the far side of that raging creek parked their cars on his property. That's because there would otherwise be no way out of their property if the bridge collapses. They're concerned a tree could float down and hit that bridge, which connects their private dirt road to both banks of the creek (and the back side of their property is covered with heavy forest and a steep hillside).

IN OTHER LOCAL NEWS:

The Community Emergency Response team sent out a call for volunteer sand-baggers yesterday but I chose not to go this time. I start my final 4-days of hypnotherapy classes tonight and I've still got quite a bit of work to do from home (before my lessons for certification start this long weekend).

THINGS I'M EXCITED ABOUT:
Through the watershed-stewardship volunteer work that I do, I was offered the chance to train to become a "bat ambassador." I've got to admit that bats have always creaped me out. At the same time, they consume so many predatory insects, I felt inspired to put up a bat house last year and I really want to get over my aversions to the flying rodents. Thus . . . I will be taking that class next weekend -- and I will learn their behaviors to become a better advocate for bats.

I'm also going to take a "Global Warming" class for gardeners before the end of the month. I seriously wish they would call this stuff "Climate Change" (which I feel is a much more accurate depiction of what is going on in our world.)

For instance: We had just enormous amounts of snow fall in this area through December. Usually February has been our big snow-fall month. I've never seen this kind of flooding before either . . . and I was born in Seattle/grew up here.

7 comments:

Fijufic said...

Wow sounds like you have water eveywhere...I have never formally visited the left coast and have heard it was beautiful but awfully wet.

I have a house in the mountains for the same general reason.

Good call on bailing from JAyess. You must be psychic.

Love,
Bobby

LearningLifelong said...

There sure is a lot of rain and snow this winter. I hope that decreases the risk of forest fires for the summer.

Climate change for gardeners... I'm curious what that class is about. Please write about it!

SunTiger said...

Fijufic ~ We tell people it rains constantly here to keep them from moving to this area in paradise (which, on a sunny day, feels like heaven!) as we feel we have enough crowding already. :D

Pandemona ~ During the summers, we often have drought situations that create severe-dryness (especially in Eastern Washington). I will ABSOLUTELY write about the Climate Change class; after Jan. 27th! I suspect they encourage native plant gardening . . . as Washington natives are both excellent with water absorption and they're drought resistant.

greeneyes67 said...

It always cracks me up when we have cold and flooding and people remark that this proves there is no global warming. I agree that climate change would be better. All those conservatives think it just means things getting hotter. It's so much more than that!

Look at the snow in Las Vegas this year! Not that far from me. I think we have seen record breaking cold here in Lake Havasu. How much more damage can we do to our earth?? Of course these things are happening!! People can be so ignorant.

As for Kent, I was there in 1985 and there were swimming pools frozen solid. It was below 0 degrees. I don't think that happens much anymore does it? Crazy how things have changed.

Love ya!

SunTiger said...

Greeneyes ~ You're right. It's been many years since the lakes have frozen hard enough for us to skate upon them.

Anonymous said...

Glad all is ok with your family. The pictures remind me of Katrina...may all of you be blessed with dry ground and no trailers!

SunTiger said...

Thank you, Tish. Now get your new blog posted so I can link to it! :D

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