January Floods 2009

Because of the nature of our climate...it is clear skys when it is cold enough to snow, and when we have plenty of moisture in the atmosphere, it has usually warmed up too much for snow. So when it does snow, it is in small amounts and the children hope and pray that it will stick until morning canceling school for the day so they can play in it. December was a very rare occurance of snow in our part of the world. When the weather pattern shifted enough for it to warm up and rain, the results were disasterous. The snow in the valleys melted and filled up all our rivers, the rain that melted the snow filled our rivers, and the system that came through also melted some snow in the mountains which also filled our rivers. The large volume of water was more than our rivers could hold. And they all flooded. We had an extra 18 feet of water flooding our area. Streets were under water, small bridges were washed away, property was devastated, it was a humbling experience, although floods are no strangers to the Pacific Northwest. This one broke records. We are grateful to be on high ground, warm and very dry. Our hearts and prayers go out to those less fortunate.