成人X站

MYNORTHWEST NEWS

‘It’s not sustainable’: Destructive flooding highlights need for solutions in Whatcom County

Nov 29, 2021, 6:24 AM | Updated: Nov 30, 2021, 11:29 am

Flooding, Whatcom County...

Flooding in Sumas from mid-November. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

River levels are finally receding on Tuesday, as Whatcom County leaders begin to lay out plans for much-needed changes in the future following historic flooding in the region.

Whatcom County resident recounts having to leave home by boat amid devastating flood

Early-week rain has had Whatcom County residents under a voluntary evacuation order, although most of the prominent flooding this time around has largely been limited to roadways. Moving forward, towns like Sumas hope they can find a fix for what have been upsettingly common flooding problems over the last few years.

“We can’t just not address the issues,” Sumas Mayor Kyle Christensen told 成人X站 Radio. “We’ve got to look for some permanent solutions.”

It’s estimated that flooding in mid-November affected 75% of homes in Sumas, with many residents having to be rescued by boats and tractors.

The nearby town of Everson faced similar issues, with Mayor John Perry echoing Christensen’s sentiment regarding the need for action.

“Everson, Nooksack, and Sumas took the brunt of these last two floods, and it’s not sustainable,” Perry told 成人X站 Radio. “We can’t keep rebuilding homes in these areas, so there’s going to be a lot of discussion coming up in the coming weeks and months.”

“I anticipate it being pretty important for us to move forward as quickly as possible on it,” he added.

A flood warning remains in effect for the Skagit River near Mount Vernon as of early Tuesday morning, with rivers in Skagit and Whatcom counties expected to “continue to recede tonight.” The good news is that rain from over the weekend won’t likely push rivers to the flood levels the northern counties saw two weeks ago.

As 成人X站 7 TV meteorologist Nick Allard noted Monday morning: “For the most part, the rivers have crested.”

“When you crest, you hit your highest point, then you slowly start to come down,” he continued. “The Skagit is the only river left where you’re kind of at the moderate category, or it will be when it crests. Otherwise, minor flooding, and the rivers will be on the way down.”

How Lynden church helped rally community as destructive flood swept across region

This time around, there are fewer concerns over significant damage to homes and businesses, with local officials .

鈥淭here鈥檚 just no more places for the water to go,鈥 Whatcom County flood responder spokesperson Marie Duckworth told 成人X站 7 TV at the start of the week. 鈥淎ll of our retention ponds, our ditches, flood plains — all of these things are full at this point and are starting to creep up to our roadways.鈥

With up to an inch and a half of rain in the forecast for both Skagit and Whatcom counties on Tuesday, neither area is fully out of the woods for this week.

“The tricky thing is, more than likely, these same spots will see some issues after the rain we have coming in for tomorrow,” Allard cautioned.

MyNorthwest News

Edmonds School District...

Julia Dallas

Edmonds schools to cut 12 full-time employees in response to $8.5M shortfall

The Edmonds School District faces an $8.5M deficit, leading to the elimination of 12 full-time positions.

9 minutes ago

Tacoma Police rescue man from burning car....

Frank Lenzi

Video: Tacoma police rescue man from burning car

Tacoma police body camera footage captured the dramatic moments when police rescued a man from a burning car after it crashed into a fence and a power pole Tuesday.

1 hour ago

U.S.-China trade war...

成人X站 Newsradio staff

Sen. Murray warns of supply chain strain as WA imports set to drop 40%

U.S. Senator Patty Murray raises concerns over supply chain disruptions and rising prices in Washington amid drop in imports to ports.

2 hours ago

Seattle Central College demonstration...

James Lynch

Demonstrators hold walk-out at Seattle Central College on May Day

Demonstrators protest furloughs during walk-out at Seattle Central College on May Day.

3 hours ago

Image: People may have a hard time getting around this weekend after WSDOT announced several major ...

MyNorthwest Staff

Driver killed after crash on SR 520; WSP seeking hit-and-run suspect

WSP is looking for the car its thinks is responsible for a hit-and-run on SR 520.聽

3 hours ago

23andMe...

Luke Duecy

Tech Talk: What happens to your data when 23andMe sells it to the highest bidder?

However, in March, after settling a $30 million lawsuit over a data breach, 23andMe declared bankruptcy and announced they are selling the company, including the massive amounts of data it has collected from willing customers.

4 hours ago

‘It’s not sustainable’: Destructive flooding highlights need for solutions in Whatcom County