"AT 3:30 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10, the residents of Sumas, Washington - in the Nooksack River floodplain on the state's northwest border - learned of the rising floodwaters. The city's flood alarm had gone off with an unnerving wail that was heard as far north as Abbotsford, British Columbia. Most residents heeded the warning, grabbing their children, pets and important belongings and driving to flood shelters, hotels or the homes of nearby friends."
"The next morning, the only roads in and out of Sumas were underwater. The town and its surroundings were inundated by multiple feet of frigid, dirt-laden river water that damaged hundreds of homes and businesses and left a thin layer of silt on nearly every surface. Dozens of residents who hadn't evacuated were rescued from their roofs by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter."
"Two back-to-back atmospheric rivers battered Washington's west coast in early December, with some places receiving up to 14 inches of rain over a 72-hour period at the storms' peak. Low-lying agricultural zones were the most heavily impacted, while the foothills of the Cascade Range, as well as urban areas like Seattle, Everett and Bellingham, were less affected. Now begins the long and difficult recovery process."
"On Dec. 12 in the town of Nooksack - just down the road from Sumas - I donned thick work gloves, high rubber boots and a waterproof jacket, joining volunteers to assist homeowners with the soggy effort of cleanup. We carried waterlogged carpets and building materials out to the street for pickup, while others ventured into crawlspaces still inundated by standing water, pulling out soaked insulation and muddied vapor shields."
At 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 10 flood alarms warned Sumas residents as rising waters entered the Nooksack River floodplain. The following morning, roads were submerged and multiple feet of frigid, dirt-laden river water inundated homes and businesses, leaving silt and debris across the town. Dozens of residents who had not evacuated were rescued from roofs by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter. Two successive atmospheric rivers delivered up to 14 inches of rain over 72 hours, heavily impacting low-lying agricultural zones while foothills and some urban areas saw less damage. Volunteers and recovery groups mobilized to remove waterlogged materials and begin cleanup.
Read at High Country News
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