The rain rain rain came down down down...

Woohoo, we beat all written records for rainfall! The interstate is closed in one direction and threatening in another, side roads are buried in mudslides everywhere ya look, rivers are rising all over the place and not expected to crest until late tomorrow or after, theres a huge condo complex on a cliffside up in Seattle that is rapidly losing the narrow strip of soil that stands between it and the highway far below. The smart-guys predict the rain to let up in a few more hours, but in the meantime the coast is getting blasted with hurricane-force winds; all the schools along there are closed reportedly. And coast folks have been without power since early this morning. A critical and busy intersection near my son's college is so far underwater that cars were stalling out with it lapping over the headlights.
Well I've been reading and lurking onsite here this morning, and gotta say, this is better than 12 inches of snow anyways, lol!
Think we can ship some of this down to you southern, drought-stricken folks?
Whoops, flickering lights, gotta fly!

 

That sounds nasty Critterpainter. I'm not too sure that I would take that over this severe winter weather though. Sounds like there is nasty weather of all kinds clear across the country lately.

 

Hi again! Just heard one of those talk-shows on the radio, they opened up the whole show for people to call in and report conditions that the media can't always get to. Sounds like every rural area around here is shut off, road-wise. Folks whose families have been here as long as mine has are saying it's like nothing they've ever seen, and now the interstate is about to be completely shut down!
The tv news showed a satellite photo of the problem, a stream of clouds shooting straight at us from Hawaii- meaning not just the heavy rain, but the intense snow pack built up over the weekend has melted suddenly (it's like 10 degrees warmer than usual!) and the ground just can soak it up. The 100-year flood plain, established about 15 years ago, has been readjusted. Hmm, don't seem like no hundred years, lol! Do I seem too cheerful for the conditions? You bet. If the temperature was where it usually is about now, people would be skidding out and crashing all over the place. DH may be wet out there, but at least I know he isn't freezing. And, of course, my critters ride it out much better when it's warmer. The high wind warning ends in about half an hour, we shall see. Would be mighty nice to not have new branches (and trees, the ground is so wet they are coming up roots and all) falling on the road after dark.

 

Spooky. The rain stopped at 4 just like the weatherman said it would. Got a report from a neighbor who went Christmas shopping, of all things. Told me about seeing cars up to the tops of their windows in water, sitting in the middle of low spots in the road. Yep, I meant to put that in the plural. Sounds like everyone got caught off guard by this, I'm very glad DH is nearly home.
We aren't due for freezing before Thursday night, should be just enough time for the floodwaters to recede, and there's no more rain in the forcast after tomorrow evening.

 

Hokey smoke! That sounds WILD, Mary!

Oh man, how I wish I could dig a canal and channel some of that over here,
I'd sure be happy to take the excess off your hands!

I hope that you (and everyone caught up in that system)
come through without too much damage!

 

Ooof, that sounds horrid! Hope you and yours are fine, Mary.

 

Ouch
That sound nasty - not only cold that will have to braved, but also flooding.

I could do with rain water in summer. Can't we drill through to your place and insert a pipe??

 

Well, there's no place for the water to drain to! Guess that's the upside to living on rocky glacial outwash though- tough to garden but it just doesn't flood on this part of the prairie.
Here's a link with some news photos and videos if anyone's feeling too dry : http://www.kirotv.com/news/14758371/detail.html
Some things not on the news channels, images of toilets backed up and gushing like niagara into peoples houses, a barbecue restaurant washed completely across a road, those cars up to their windshields that are now completely submerged.
Reports are still coming in about roads washing away.
The interstate will be closed until this evening at least. Schools all around here are closed; a huge main power tower collapsed when the ground gave way under it so more than 32,000 people are out of power for about a week.
Our disaster-area classification means the national guard is helping out .Good thing, that. The dikes and levees in my home town just south of here failed, Helicopters have been moving people out of there all night, especially from the outlying farms. I'm waiting to hear from a few people I know who had water lapping at their doors after the last big flood; apparently this one will beat the old flood level by at least 5 feet. Rivers are expected to crest in several hours.
Whew. DD's bus is coming late this morning, I'm hoping to go check out a couple places after I driver her up to the bus stop. Think I'll wear my muck boots!!

 

Wow, that sounds down right horrible, give me the snow and cold any time, well ... not in the summer, but you know what I mean. Flooding can really do some damage, the snow and cold are just uncomfortable. I hope that all is well with those that matter to you.
Tom

 

Here's a couple of pics, on the right you can see a logjam that the county workers were pulling out at 3am.


And a neighbor's horse pasture. This is typically a stream so low that one could easily walk across it.

 

Hola Cripes,, thats just crazy,, I'll stay right here thank you very much,,

I'm just glad your okay, an so is your family.

Now i have to go call my daughter, she lives in Washington State also.

 

Hope you reach her ok, I have several friends in the worst-hit areas and can't get ahold of them for anything. Guess some cell towers must me out. And my hometown radio station is lowlying- since it's completely off the air I assume it's flooded ou too.

 

Oh, those photos and films were horrible to watch! We rarely get flooding in my area, but both north, south and east parts will have them. My thoughts go out to those affected.