After unprecedented flooding in December, emergency officials across both Oregon and Washington have reported widespread damage. The Snohomish, Skagit and Cedar rivers broke all-time flood records on Dec. 11, while other rivers like the Skykomish and Stillaguamish fell just short of breaking records. This forced thousands to evacuate and submerged entire neighborhoods, while also rapidly filling emergency shelters.
Infrastructure damage has been a big concern, as hundreds of roads and dozens of bridges were washed out or affected. Power outages due to a mixture of both wind and flooding destroyed power lines and electrical systems. In hard-to-reach areas, residents were stranded for days as it was impossible for local emergency services to reach them. This was one of the costliest storms in Pacific Northwest history, with damage reports totaling over $50 million.
The Wolf sat down with juniors Ty Mattson and Max Mezentsev to see what they think.
“The floods are really worrying because people’s homes and roads are underwater,” Mattson stated. “I hope everyone stayed safe and got help quickly.”
Floods are one of the most damaging and dangerous types of natural disasters. Floodwater can pose risks that may not be apparent before entering the water. These risks include things such as fast-moving debris and strong currents that can wipe you off your feet.
Mezentsev shared his thoughts on how these unprecedented floods cause harm in the community.
“The flooding is limiting people from leaving their homes, which makes it difficult for them to go to work or the grocery store. Secondly, this flooding is causing lots of damage to homes and danger to those who often spend time outside, like sports, construction, etc.”
Climate scientists say the intensity of the atmospheric river storm was increased by unusually warm Pacific Ocean temperatures, which allowed it to carry more moisture than usual. According to researchers, storms like this pose a significant threat and may become even more common. This increases the extreme risk of flooding in both Oregon and Washington. Communities affected by floods often face a long recovery period, and it can take years before they fully recover. Cleanup efforts are underway, but unstable ground in the mountains and landslide threats continue to pose dangers.
Overall, over 100,000 people were evacuated and nearly 4,000 homes were damaged from this one storm.
