Last Friday we had a little flood here at my house. Today we had a big one. Roughly five inches of rain in the past 24 hours on top of all the rain we have received over the past week pushed the Skykomish River well over its banks.
Luckily, for the second time in a row, my home wasn’t damaged, and I believe that all of my neighbors have survived the flood as well. It all started about 6:00 AM when I awoke to a view of water covering all the lowland to the south of my house, with much more obviously on the way.
Unlike last Friday I was unable to post periodic updates here because I was needed to help evacuate a friend and his possessions from that lowland. That took a bit of the day and when I was done it was time to start moving some of my own things to the higher ground behind my house.
All the while time seemed to crawl as we watched the water rise and rise, waiting for 4 PM, the time when the National Weather Service said that the River would crest here. Luckily it did before doing major damage, and better yet about an hour early. It’s been going down since then, and I imagine will be back in its banks by afternoon tomorrow.
There is, unfortunately only one road in and out of the tiny community I live in, and one section of that road did suffer fairly severe damage today, and remains impassable tonight. With luck a crew will be here to fix it in the morning, and with a bit more luck the fix will not take long.
The Skykomish, and ultimately the Snohomish Rivers below me continue rising tonight, and major flooding is predicted in the valleys. I can only hope that the people living downstream get off as lucky as we did here.
Showing posts with label My Home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My Home. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Land And Water
As I look out my window this morning there is land where land should be, and water where water should be.
Floods in the mountains are quite violent but short-lived. Unlike the lowlands we do not suffer flooding for days or weeks at a time.
Floods in the mountains are quite violent but short-lived. Unlike the lowlands we do not suffer flooding for days or weeks at a time.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Final Flood Report
The river has fallen, the danger has passed. As always, tomorrow will be a better day.
Skykomish River Crest
The latest warning from the National Weather Service predicts that the river at my home will crest in about one half hour, at 4:00 PM.
It seems that my home, and my neighborhood, has been spared a similar disaster to the one they suffered almost exactly two years ago.
It seems that my home, and my neighborhood, has been spared a similar disaster to the one they suffered almost exactly two years ago.
2:00 PM Flood Report
The level of the South Fork of the Skykomish River has risen slightly since my last report, yet remains just a bit below the level at which it will do major damage.
The rain continues unabated with now over three inches since midnight.
I remain hopeful that the river will crest at some point this afternoon.
The rain continues unabated with now over three inches since midnight.
I remain hopeful that the river will crest at some point this afternoon.
Noon Flood Report
The water levels in the Skykomish River seem to be remaining steady. Low enough to preclude major damage to homes in my area. The rain continues to fall heavily, now over two and a half inches since midnight.
I’ve just driven our road, and it remains open to the highway. We also still have both electrical and phone service, which makes the watching much more pleasant.
Verizon seems to be going to great measures to keep phone service for us; they have a crew in the neighborhood taking care of any issues that arise.
If we do loose electricity, the blog will go dark as I need the satellite modem to post, and don’t think it would be wise to hook that system up to ‘dirty’ generator power.
I’ve just driven our road, and it remains open to the highway. We also still have both electrical and phone service, which makes the watching much more pleasant.
Verizon seems to be going to great measures to keep phone service for us; they have a crew in the neighborhood taking care of any issues that arise.
If we do loose electricity, the blog will go dark as I need the satellite modem to post, and don’t think it would be wise to hook that system up to ‘dirty’ generator power.
Flooding In Western Washington
Today history seems to be repeating itself along the South Fork of the Skykomish River.
Floodwaters are very high, with some of my neighbors having water in their yards. I don’t think that the waters are high enough to have entered anyone’s homes yet, and I hope that it stays that way.
I sent Mrs. CM out a few hours ago to prevent her becoming trapped if the flooding destroys our roads as has happened so many times in the past. I’ve not been down the road from our house since she left, so I do not know if it remains passable at this time.
At my home the water has almost covered the granite slab that protects us, if it does cover the entire slab that is the time when I must begin to worry. For now I’m simply watching. It will likely prove to be a very long day here, and amazingly wet as we have had over two and a quarter inches of rain since midnight.
In the flood of November 2006 a major logjam was created on the granite slab, right in front of our house. That jam is growing exponentially today. It’s creation did ruin what was a wonderful beach for us, but there is a benefit as well because it is serving as a breakwater, keeping the force of the river out towards the center of the channel and away from our banks. I don’t know if it will continue providing that service if this becomes a major flood, but for now it is offering us a good measure of protection.
An interesting way to wake up this morning as the river remained low late last night; I must hope that it does not grow any larger throughout the day today
Floodwaters are very high, with some of my neighbors having water in their yards. I don’t think that the waters are high enough to have entered anyone’s homes yet, and I hope that it stays that way.
I sent Mrs. CM out a few hours ago to prevent her becoming trapped if the flooding destroys our roads as has happened so many times in the past. I’ve not been down the road from our house since she left, so I do not know if it remains passable at this time.
At my home the water has almost covered the granite slab that protects us, if it does cover the entire slab that is the time when I must begin to worry. For now I’m simply watching. It will likely prove to be a very long day here, and amazingly wet as we have had over two and a quarter inches of rain since midnight.
In the flood of November 2006 a major logjam was created on the granite slab, right in front of our house. That jam is growing exponentially today. It’s creation did ruin what was a wonderful beach for us, but there is a benefit as well because it is serving as a breakwater, keeping the force of the river out towards the center of the channel and away from our banks. I don’t know if it will continue providing that service if this becomes a major flood, but for now it is offering us a good measure of protection.
An interesting way to wake up this morning as the river remained low late last night; I must hope that it does not grow any larger throughout the day today
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wild Water
My home and office are situated in a very unique location. On the exact outside of a 90-degree turn in a major and swift flowing river. The channel in which that river flows is within two feet of my buildings. This of course makes for a world-class view as we look perfectly and directly upstream, but it also makes for danger when the river overruns its banks.
The river makes this bend because my home and office are built on a massive slab of granite. The exposed slab is hundreds of feet long, and when the river crashes into it, there is no possibility but for the water to make a radical course change. This granite slab is also of course the only reason that buildings can stand here, as it serves as a very secure base, and without it the buildings would be swept away as the land eroded from under them.
Exactly two years ago today, at almost exactly this time of day, our river began flooding. I was on the phone in my office, looking out the large windows at the river, which was now flowing into my yard. Watching as massive trees floated down the river at extremely high speeds, hit the granite slab upon which our home is built, and exploded from the shock of impact.
Then one did not.
It jumped the slab, and hit the building in which I was standing.
My office deck, two stories high, collapsed and water began flowing under the building through the hole created when the log hit.
I ended my conversation, and we evacuated the building. Taking our most valuable items, turning off the electricity, and the gas. We moved next door into my house.
The water continued to rise all day, the office building was hit again and again by trees that had fallen due to the rising waters, and even my house was hit despite it being slightly elevated, and better protected from the raging waters.
We were however one of the only homes in our neighborhood that did not have water inside, because the land falls away after our buildings. At some point in the night we rescued a neighbor who lives beyond us, and was carried away by the waters. The warmth of our fire soon revived him enough so that he could join our vigil. At 9:00 PM the water began retreating, our buildings still standing.
The next morning neither my office building nor our house had intact decks, a massive pile of logs covered what was our yard, and many of our neighbor’s homes were destroyed. We were without a roadway, no way out other than walking about four miles to the highway, for about two weeks. Electricity and telephone were restored sometime after that.
It is the price one must pay for living in one of the most beautiful spots on earth. Horrible rain today, and in previous days, has me thinking about two years ago, has me looking at the river outside of my big windows today.
The river makes this bend because my home and office are built on a massive slab of granite. The exposed slab is hundreds of feet long, and when the river crashes into it, there is no possibility but for the water to make a radical course change. This granite slab is also of course the only reason that buildings can stand here, as it serves as a very secure base, and without it the buildings would be swept away as the land eroded from under them.
Exactly two years ago today, at almost exactly this time of day, our river began flooding. I was on the phone in my office, looking out the large windows at the river, which was now flowing into my yard. Watching as massive trees floated down the river at extremely high speeds, hit the granite slab upon which our home is built, and exploded from the shock of impact.
Then one did not.
It jumped the slab, and hit the building in which I was standing.
My office deck, two stories high, collapsed and water began flowing under the building through the hole created when the log hit.
I ended my conversation, and we evacuated the building. Taking our most valuable items, turning off the electricity, and the gas. We moved next door into my house.
The water continued to rise all day, the office building was hit again and again by trees that had fallen due to the rising waters, and even my house was hit despite it being slightly elevated, and better protected from the raging waters.
We were however one of the only homes in our neighborhood that did not have water inside, because the land falls away after our buildings. At some point in the night we rescued a neighbor who lives beyond us, and was carried away by the waters. The warmth of our fire soon revived him enough so that he could join our vigil. At 9:00 PM the water began retreating, our buildings still standing.
The next morning neither my office building nor our house had intact decks, a massive pile of logs covered what was our yard, and many of our neighbor’s homes were destroyed. We were without a roadway, no way out other than walking about four miles to the highway, for about two weeks. Electricity and telephone were restored sometime after that.
It is the price one must pay for living in one of the most beautiful spots on earth. Horrible rain today, and in previous days, has me thinking about two years ago, has me looking at the river outside of my big windows today.
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