Mukilteo Musings

Surrounded by Water

Normally, water water is everywhere but we have had record breaking amounts of rain. Last winter, we had record breaking number of days of rain but this month the number of inches is unsurpassed. We have had Montana's yearly average of precipition which includes snow in just a few days. Big mountains encircle the Puget Sound area. We have more creeks, waterfalls, streams and rivers flowing out of the surrounding mountains than can be named. As I type this, banks are overflowing everywhere. We may lose more of the back side of our property if this keeps up but this is minor compared to what many people have lost.

Last night, I watched one of my favorite TV shows, Grey's Anatomy. In this episode, the men went camping and fishing. It was actually filmed here on the middle fork of the Snoqualmie River and the city scenes were filmed in Pioneer Square in Seattle and on Fifth Avenue near the 5th Ave Theatre. Unfortunately, the gorgeous fishing scenes on the river probably do not exist at this moment.


Grey's Anatomy, Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie


McDreamy fishing on the Middle Fork! Sigh!


And this is what we look like around here today:


Snohomish---twenty minutes from my house
photo by Chad Hawthorne for King5


Skykomish River--40 minutes from my house
photo by Carol Carlson for King5


Snohomish soccer fields--floating Honey Buckets--ewwwwww!
photo by JT Nutt for King5

The following picture was on the front page of the Seattle Times this morning. The story is heartbreaking. This family had built their house by hand for ten years and it was not quite finished. The plan was to have the carpets installed next week and they were moving in in time for Christmas. Sadly, the mobile home on the property they had been living in completely washed away. All of this happened in a very short unexpected few minutes.

And do not be thinking, "Well, it serves them right for building next to the river!" The fifty something parents with two teen age daughters built their home in compliance with all permits and they were elevated above the 100 year flood plain. The last record flood on this river in 1990 did not even come close to the planned footprint of their home. Frankly, this is a freak flood caused by what we call a "pineapple express" which is a tropical storm off course. My heart goes out to this family. They did have flood insurance, at least, because they built outside the flood zone.


Mike Siegel, The Seattle Times
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003386497_flooding10e.html

Welcome to the Pacific Northwest where we are all covered in fungus and mold and we have webbed feet!