My favorite Manifesto Blog….

Change This –

Declaration of Independents: Fighting against the Colonization of Our Local Communities by Big-Box Retailers.

Rebecca

Country Meadow

www.countrymeadowsoaps.com

Quick post…

If you love pets and the vet’s who treat them you will love Pet Peeves!
Written by an ER Vet you will laugh (and cry) reading about the trouble our beloved pets can get themselves into.

Rebecca

Country Meadow

www.countrymeadowsoaps.com

Country Meadow is based in the city so other than a little urban flooding and some difficulty getting to surrounding areas we have little to fear as far as actual flooding. Closed roads are being opened as the flood waters slowly receed….but more rain is on the way with the potential for wind storms and power outages this weekend!

CNN Weather:

Forecasters say another intense Pacific storm is set to hit the already soaked Northwest Friday.

The region got a short break on Thursday, when early morning light showers were expected to give way to dry conditions by afternoon, as residents cleaned up after storms that smashed rainfall records and damaged hundreds of homes, authorities said.

The body of a 78-year-old woman who disappeared on a storm-battered beach was found Wednesday, the third confirmed death from the so-called Pineapple Express storm.

The storm, named for its origin over the warm Pacific Ocean, eased on Wednesday after sending rivers over their banks Monday and Tuesday, causing millions of dollars in damage.

Authorities focused on finding up to 1,000 hunters who rode out the slow-moving rainstorm and remained on the hillsides between Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens, said Gene Seiber, chief deputy for the Lewis County, Washington, Sheriff’s Office.

“Many up there are just waiting it out,” Seiber said. “The rescue guys in the air said the guys are just sitting around campfires, waving at the plane. They’re fine now, but eventually they’re going to come down and realize they can’t get out.”

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski declared an emergency in coastal Tillamook County, where about 100 people were evacuated because of rising water.

Elma Benefiel and her daughter-in-law were last seen walking near Gleneden Beach, Oregon, on Tuesday. Lt. Vicky Ryan of the Depoe Bay Fire District said she saw the women and “cautioned them to not go out on the beach because of the high water.”

They apparently moved to another stretch of beach, she said. Benefiel’s body was found on a spit off the beach, Ryan said. A search was continuing for her daughter-in-law.

Two deaths were reported in Washington — a hunter whose pickup truck was swept into the Cowlitz River and a man whose vehicle was swept into the same river after he ignored road closure signs. The first body was recovered late Monday, and the second early Wednesday.

Some highways and numerous local roads were closed Wednesday because of high water, mud and rock slides or flood damage.

While river levels were dropping, some were still at flood stage, with recovery and damage assessment still hours or even days away.

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire had declared an emergency for 18 counties on Monday, authorizing the National Guard and the Emergency Management Division to offer assistance.

The state Office of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will have crews on the ground next week, state spokesman Rob Harper said.

Rainfall records were set Monday across western Washington, including 8.22 inches at Stampede Pass, which broke an all-time record for a 24-hour period there of 7.29 inches, set in 1962. The storm dumped up to 15 inches on Oregon by Tuesday, mostly along the coast.

Fall City, Washington by Ric Ransom

Log jam at the Snohomish River Bridge by Russ Reynolds

Looking over the Snohomish/Monroe Valley by Chad Hawthorne

Rebecca

Country Meadow

www.countrymeadowsoaps.com

Living in Western Washington one gets used to the rain and if you live in low-lying areas you may be prone to flooding. Going from memory it seems the rivers tend reach flood stage at least twice a year and every once in a while records are broken. I believe this week with the ‘pineapple express’ we did indeed hit some record breaking flood levels!

SEATTLE (AP) – Rainfall ended in most areas and floodwaters were subsiding in Western Washington after killing two and forcing hundreds of people to flee from homes and business, some in rescues by helicopter and hovercraft.

Major highways were open, including Interstate 5, which was reopened to traffic early Wednesday after a closure of about nine hours because of high water at Chehalis, about 90 miles south of Seattle. Some lesser highways and numerous local roads remained closed because of high water, mud and rockslides or flood damage.

Most rivers in the region had crested and were subsiding by Wednesday morning, but some still were expected to stay well over flood stage through the day and major flooding is expected to continue along the Snoqualmie, Skagit, Cowlitz and Snohomish Rivers.

The Snoqualmie River crested early Wednesday but was still 6 feet over flood stage at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning. It’s expected to slowly fall through the day, but not drop below flood stage until Wednesday night.

The Snohomish River near Monroe was a solid 7 feet over flood stage and was expected to remain over flood stage until late Thursday. At the city of Snohomish, the river was 8 1/2 feet over flood stage and was expected to remain steady there through midday Wednesday, then begin its slow drop. But it’s not expected to drop below flood stage until Friday morning, meaning major flooding will continue in the meantime.

The Skagit River near Concrete was on its way down Thursday morning, but wasn’t expected to be under flood stage until Thursday afternoon. Down river in Mount Vernon, the river was at 33 feet — 5 feet over flood stage — and slowly dropping, expecting to drop below flood stage Wednesday night. In the meantime, major flooding continues from Sedro-Woolley down through Mount Vernon.

The Cowlitz River, which has now claimed two lives in this storm, was expected to stay over flood stage until Thursday afternoon.

That second death occurred Tuesday when a pickup truck driver ignored road closure signs on U.S. Highway 12 and was swept into the Cowlitz River east of Randle. His body was recovered by Cowlitz County sheriff’s deputies Wednesday morning. A 20-year-old elk hunter died Monday when his truck was swept into the Cowlitz, also in eastern Lewis County.

Flooding changed the course of the Cowlitz near Packwood, west of Randle. At least one house toppled into the river Tuesday but no one was injured.

There has been no estimate of damage.

Cascade Mountains near Stevens Pass by Andy Boos

Duvall, Washington by S. Sanden

North Bend, Washington next to Snoqualmie River by Christina Purser

Wallace River by Michele Olson

Randle Fire Dept by Sue Clayclamp

Packwood, Washington – I am at a loss for words other than to say the owners of this house have my deepest sympathy.

Rebecca

Country Meadow

www.countrymeadowsoaps.com