We are now officially cut off from the rest of the US!! All of the cross Mountain passes are closed due to landslides, or avalanches, and I-5 is closed at Chehalis due to flooding. US 101 which is the hiway that runs around the Olympic Natl park, and on down to California is closed in many spots due to either flooding or landslides. Between Portland and Seattle, there are 10,000 semi's daily that are stopped and can not get through with their loads. All of the alternate routes are closed due to flooding. It may be 5 days before the water goes down and they survey the road beds to make sure they are safe again.
THis is our famous Snoqualmie Falls, which is technically larger than Niagra Falls, and it is so full and flooding that you can not see the river below!
This is what we looked like last week. there was over 6 feet of snow in the higher hills and in the mountain passes just last week! THen it warmed up and started raining on top of all of this, which made for really full creeks and rivers. It is Historic flooding!
This is what happens when you pave Mother Nature and thumb your nose at her and build on a slope that once had trees on it to stabilize the mud and rocks. People just are stunned that their brand new McMansions are sliding down hill and crashing onto the road below. DUH!!! Maybe this weather will make all those Californians that ran up here and bought up all our cheap land, go back where they came from.
You won't believe this, but the city of Seattle had made a ruling to go green with their snow removal, and not use salt, as it would impact the salmon streams. So the people that moved up here are screaming mad that their roads were full of snow and ice and they were not happy. DEAL WITH IT FOLKS! I was snowed in for over two weeks. Did you hear me scream? NO! I knew it would eventually melt, and I was all prepared for it!
The north Cascades hiway 20, Stevens Pass hiway 2, Snoqualmie Pass I-90, White Pass hiway 410 Cayuse Pass hiway 12 and I-5 South to Portland are all closed for at least 3 more days. The sun is sposed to come out later this afternoon, but the rain is still falling in the mountains and the rivers will not all crest until later tomorrow.
Sun would be really nice about now...
18 comments:
'The... sun will come out tomorrow,, bet your bottom dollar, there'll be sun....'
Arrogant people will never learn not to fool with Mother Nature. They'll keep on until she gets totally pissed and takes it all back some day.
At least you are snug and warm and have the internet.
It's strange how people want the joys of nature but still wish to remain comfortable...
We've had weeks and weeks of rain here. And on the good side, we've caught up on our rainfall after two years of drought. But FINALLY it's stopped and now the sun is shining. I wish the same for your area. You guys have really had it rough! Take care!
Wow! I knew you were getting some record weather that way, but whew!
It seems to me that if someone had moved to an area to 'get away from it all' they would have the sense to read up on the area to know what they're in for.
I suppose this is what's called 'more money than sense'.
It's pretty much the same up here in BC. Tons of snow, and then torrential rain on top of it. We were cut off from the rest of Canada a few days ago because of all the highway closures because of avalanches and mudslides. It's been quite a winter for the west coast, hasn't it!
Hope the sun shines soon!
Blogeois said...
I had originally planned on being in Seattle this weekend, today (Friday) in fact, but finances said no. Good thing. Coming up from the Portland, OR aread, I would have paid for stuff I couldn't get to! Great pic of the falls.
wow at Snoqualmie Falls! It's very cold here in Belgium right now, it's been 15 years since we had temperatures and snow like this.
Hope you stay safe ML.
I don't care what they say about you MARY LOU. You did good. (It's me again.) Guess who?
Pete....sigh!
It is lovely and scary. I think often of all you folks up there. It sounds as though you are coping very well. Congrats and here is hoping you get more sunshine soon.
Stay warm and safe Mary Lou...don't take any chances on driving or walking in that mess!!!hughugs
People are crazy. Oh wait, I'm a people, well some people are crazy. What gets me is then they call it a national disaster and ask the rest of us to pay for it.
A lot who come up for California to my area of Oregon can't stand it after awhile-- rain? I think it's more too many gray days but heck that's why we don't get those terrible forest fires. Oh wait, we do get those sometimes. Guess nobody should move to the Pacific Northwest.
I love your photos all the more I think about it. Yep, terrible place to live-- except for those of us born to it, of course. (Before transplanted Californians nail me, I have some of my best friends transplanted but they don't expect it to be like California but accept they moved.)
The weather people are still sounding like come mid-week we will have sunshine and still have warm temps. That sounds good. We need to dry out all over the whole area. My brother has been having lots of fun with snow in Spokane, with over 61 inches of the stuff in Dec, mostly in the last two weeks.
Our place here is fairly high so we are not subject to flooding but I was a little worried about roof damage when all that snow started melting. I guess I should say I was worried about roof gutter damage but we seem to have come through it with none. I guess it is worth my time to make sure they stay tightly attached.
Happy Birthday!!!!!
TANK EWE!!! So where are my WAffles in Bed?
I've never been snowed in - but have lived where there was lots of snow - upstate New York. It's always a good idea to have lots of food and stuff around in the winter.
And people should be more careful about where they plop their houses.
Cas
Stay warm!!
Gosh. And here I was, complaining that I had to put on a long sleeve t-shirt. (Pensacola, FL -- we did have a hard frost yesterday.)
Seriously, thanks for the report and the amazing photos.
Stay safe, Mary Lou.
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