5-Alarm Weather

Yes, we are safe, though the apocalyptic weather continues here in the Northwest. 15 inches of rain in something like 24 hours and high winds have caused quite the ruckus. Today, we didn’t really think about the weather, until, running errands, my 6-foot-4 200+ pound husband suddenly found it hard to walk in the wind – a few minutes later, trying to drive to Target, we drove past a huge downed tree leaning heavily against a power line, and then we had to turn around in the middle of the road where it was washed out and a car in the street was up to its windows in flood water. It turned out that if Glenn had been trying to get home from his work to our old apartment today, instead of working from home, he wouldn’t have been able to – the entire highway system back to our old place was blocked by mudslides and floods, the streets were parking lots or flooded, and the bottom of our old street – we lived on the top of the hill – is currently underwater. The little condo we rented for a couple of years – right on the banks of the flooding Sammamish river – and the Chateau St. Michelle wineries – also lowland on the banks of the same river – are both being threatened by rising water. And it hasn’t even rained for 40 days and 40 nights! Just a couple of days of heavy snow followed by heavy rain.
I’m thinking good thoughts for my friends in Seattle, especially North Seattle, Kent, Kirkland, and Woodinville, tonight. The street above beautiful Golden Gardens park has completely collapsed into sinkhole and mud. The highway I-5 to Portland is impassable by train or car because of mud and flooding. Many families had to be rescued by airlift and raft from their homes. Turns out the ocean is, in this case, safer than the rivers.
We’re grateful we have power on and that our house is dry.