Author Topic: Washington Floods...  (Read 3021 times)

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Offline GregJ

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Washington Floods...
« on: December 05, 2007, 11:38:50 PM »
We have just survived a storm that is one for the record books.  Some interesting things happened with this storm.  We basically had 3 storms hit us back to back to back and the last one was a doosy...  The first was a bit of a cold front with some moisture that resulted in some snow.  Not a lot, but just enough to cover the ground and get things cold.  The second had a lot more moisture and started out as snow and turned to rain.  A fair amount of moisture fell with this.  Then the last one.... wow.... rain that would not stop and very warm.  So, with the previous two storms, we were very vulnerable to any additional moisture.  The record for daily rainfall in Seattle is just over 5 inches in 24 hours.  This storm came in second with a little over 4 inches in 24 hours.  What doesn't show in the record books is the previous 2 storms.  If we were to measure a 36 hour period instead of 24, this one would definitely have been a record setter...  There are areas just south of me that I am sure had over 12 inches of rain in that period.  The interesting thing about our area is the effect of the Olympic Mountains.  They create a rain shadow that is incredible.  I have set up a few stations around the area and the storm totals are very interesting.  Here are the storm totals from stations that I have set up or been involved with, listed from north to south.

Camano Island 1.20"
Mutiny Bay (10 miles south of Camano) 2.12"
Skunk Bay (6 miles south of Mutiny Bay) 4.73"
Shorewoods (1.8 miles south of Skunk Bay) 5.84"
Mill Creek 6.68"
Shoreline 5.78"
Poulsbo 6.80 (10 miles south of Shorewoods)

The severe damage really started in Poulsbo and went south from there.  The catastophic damage was done in Centralia and Chehalis.  We are basically facing a "mini-Katrina" in those areas.  My heart is breaking for their losses.  They are basically on the eastern side of the south end of the Olympics.  The heavy ocean storms are forced around the mountains and dump in that area.  They have really suffered.  Our local TV station has some great footage and photos.  Here is the link: http://www.komotv.com/weather/photos 

It was a fascinating storm and I saw the fringes of it.  As a weather nut, I am always in awe of the power of mother nature and in a very perverse way enjoy these events.  However, people are suffering now and my heart breaks for them.  We are contributing to our favorite charities in this area and wish we could do more.  I am not above putting a plea out to a group like this to contribute, if you can, to a charity of your choice that is serving this area of need.  It really is a paradox to enjoy a hobby that watches and monitors something that can ultimately result in so much suffering.... I know I feel better when I can contribute to those in need....

Just some thoughts,
Greg


 

« Last Edit: December 06, 2007, 09:04:33 PM by GregJ »
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Offline Mark / Ohio

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Re: Washington Floods...
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2007, 12:36:24 AM »
I seen some of those photos here in the news.  Hopefully you won't get any big wind storms now until the ground dries out some.  Can't be much holding some of the tall trees there in the ground by now.
Mark 
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Offline GregJ

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Re: Washington Floods...
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2007, 09:41:06 AM »
We were amazed.... We had a pretty good blow (40+) as this thing passed out of here and none of us (in our area) lost power and very few trees went down.  I guess that's probably because we have a new generator at the office..... :grin:

Things are drying out nicely and they finally opened I-5 to truck traffic last night.  Interesing note... They had to breech a levy to let the water OUT of I-5.  We got so much rain that the water level went around the levy and filled the road bed.  The only way to get the water out was to breech it at the low point after the surrounding water level receded.

The folks out on the coast will be without power for some time to come unfortunately.  The photos of people returning to their homes is gut wrenching...

Greg
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Offline ocala

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Re: Washington Floods...
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2007, 01:33:12 PM »
I tried the link yesterday but it wasn't working.
It worked today, and WOW!
Man there's a lot of damage up there. Have to feel for those people.
It's amazing what a difference the soil can make in regards to heavy rain. A rain like that in Florida would just get sucked up by the sandy soil but everywhere else you have devastation.
Looks like the holiday is going to suck for those poor people. :-(
The blues had a baby and they named it Rock & Roll

Offline GregJ

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Re: Washington Floods...
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2007, 06:16:37 PM »
The latest photos that are really sickening are the massive loss of livestock.  There are piles of dead cattle and sheep that could not be saved.  I heard an interview with a farmer on the radio today as he told his story, in tears, about his losses.  Financially he will have no income for at least a year and also have to endure huge recovery costs.   I can only imagine his pain.....

Greg
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Offline Anole

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Re: Washington Floods...
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2007, 07:55:20 PM »
That was one of the big things after Hurricane Floyd. Dead pigs and cows everywhere. There were huge environmental concerns on top of that because of the flooding of the waste ponds as well. Floyd was the worst flooding I've ever seen and I have some experience in that area. I used to do disaster recovery work for my former employer. Prior to Floyd the worst I had ever seen was the Grand Forks, ND floods in 1997. If I remember right the waters were over 25 feet above flood stage in Grand Forks.

Here's a couple of pics of livestock from Floyd (first is of dead ones, the second one some pigs on a roof trying to stay alive:

http://www.nandotimes.com/nt/images/floyd/floyd050.html
http://www.nandotimes.com/nt/images/floyd/floyd022.html

I remember a chicken house that got washed away about 10 miles from where I was living at the time and for months afterwards there were chicken carcasses (sp?) in the trees. A pretty surreal scene.

I was thinking the same thing that Ocala wrote. Down here 6 inches of rain might cause the roads to flood for few hours but that's about it. It all just soaks into the ground without much runoff.

EDIT: Just did a quick search and the Grand Forks flood crested at 26' over flood stage. There's some pictures here:
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/department/classes/ge404/mlbroder/during.html
« Last Edit: December 07, 2007, 07:58:21 PM by Anole »