Flooding

It's crazy on the East Side of Seattle. The rivers are up and three counties have declared a state of Emergency.

How's everybody doing? Kris, how are things in Carnation? I hear that Carnation is basically an island. You're on a hill, right?

Funny you should ask! We lost power last night - camped out with battery powered lanterns and had a picnic of sorts. No generator just yet - it has now moved to the top of the list. Had no ability to check radio/tv/computer for school closings but Duvall had lights as did Carnation. NO School - kiddos are thrilled! We needed to go into Kirkland to get last post op xray today, Woodinville-Duvall Rd is close to contact with the water - still being traveled but very wet. We had power back on this afternoon but my guess is no school for Friday either. The river here looks more like a big lake that's really moving, current carrying large logs, trees and brush easily. We've had 14" of rain at the top of the hill over the last 2 weeks. My industrial wheel barrow is full and spilling over. Many families living close to the road or between the river and road are stuck or can't get back in, this is the second time in 2 weeks for them. Keeping my fingers crossed my crew can get out in the morning for their flight to MI for the final game of my college senior's season.

Hope everyone else is doing okay.

Well I'm glad your power is back, at least. And "they" are saying this is the worst of it, so the rivers should be headed back down. I'll bet Snoqualmie Falls is awesome this week.

I woke at 4:00 a.m. this morning to the thunder of water just POURING down - unusual for us. It was coming so hard and so fast that my gutters, which are clear, couldn't keep up. How weird is that?

Fingers crossed that you don't have any issues getting to the airport tomorrow. Enjoy your trip and thanks for checking in!!

Kitsap Co. all fine. LOL

Good!!

Things seem to be getting back toward normal, traffic is still terrible but that's from gawking at the water. School's in session, just delayed 2 hrs. My crew left for the airport and got off just fine today. I managed to get lots of branched picked up from the wind and leaves picked up. Yard is drying up enough to run the big dogs - they were tired of staying inside. I'm hoping for a nice day to play alone in the yard on Saturday. Hope everyone is drying off.

Oh - you sent the crew off by themselves. Are you bachelorette-ing it this weekend?

Saw some nice pictures of the river over your way last night. It's hard to believe you and I are so close and so close to the river, yet high enough to keep out of the mess.

Yes, it's my birthday present. Alone time. First time in 14 yrs. Just overnight in case I can't handle it!!! It's good that we don't have to worry about the water when it rises. It's making a mess for anyone in low areas. Flooding causes more damage than I'd care to deal with. Glad you're out of the way too. One of the kids I tutor lives in the flat lands...unable to get out before the water rose this time. Hope this doesn't happen too often.

I'd say once a year around Carnation/Duvall and not always this bad.

It's nice to be loved and to have down time to boot. What a great gift!!

Once a year I can manage, it really wasn't a problem for us so much as some of the folks that live in the area. My kids I tutor are struggling as it is, this just makes life harder.

Yep it's a nice gift! Sad part for them is it's 38 and raining at the game, starting to snow. Everyone is cold and wet. Wondering why they went (dinner w/ big bro went well last night tho). Guess I lucked out on both sides but missed kiddo and great dinner (Ethiopian sp?).

So much nicer here today - sweater weather. Hope it's a good weekend.

Glad you and yours are safe on higher ground Ladybug. I also hope you are having a fabulous weekend with the rain reprieve and sun breaks!

Yes - we've had an unusually warm fall. Typically it would be gray and drizzly - no torrential rains and flooding, but not much sun, either. It'll be good to have them home!!

I love all the red we're getting from the dry weather. My ninebark "coppertina' is outstanding right now.

Although this is not typical weather for you all here this time of year, it has been beautiful when the sun is out and it's not raining. Great outside weekend - getting lots of work done (leaves picked up/shredded, Halloween decor down, dogs run). No leaves left on plants here - just tall green trees but made some progress toward compost set up.

All are home safe and sound late last night. Glad to be back to milder weather. Looking forward to outside play time today. Hope everyone has beautiful weather today too.

I have seen it like this many times at least where I am, wish it would stay that way. not ready for the frost and ice on the roads. In the city I can handled it more so with all the street lights, but out here it gets really spooky on these dark roads.
Glad all are home and safe, Hope they all had fun.

I'm not looking forward to the frost and icy roads as our main road is not very forgiving if you slide off -no shoulder and water filled ditches. Guess I'll not drive much in the dark! NC had very little snow/frost and the only winter driving I've done is N. Michigan during winter visits home. Think I better brush up.

My crew had fun but are very tired. 10+ plane hours for 4 hr football game in cold rain that they lost! Terrible season for senior year. Great dinner with older bro & girl friend; they miss having him around. We're looking forward to the holidays when he can come visit.

I'd love it if this weather would stick around. Beautiful views on even cloudy days.

Know what you mean, my first few years out here where real scary, my road is not the nicest nor my driveway, which is steep if I get a good start up the hill and hit ice, I will slide across and in up in a 4' ditch. done it twice, know better now LOL. my road sounds like yours, not forgiving, you mess up you are down a embankment anywhere from 5' to 20' and end up in someones pasture or the woods. Still after living here for 20+ gives me the hebbis. Snow I can handle, no problem, Ice is a whole diffreant story.

Part of the problem here is that temps hover at around 32 degrees. The other part of the problem, which is exacerbated by the first is the number of hills and bodies of water we have. We have lots of changes in elevation that can make the temperature vary and then if you're going over a little bridge (and not realizing it) with water standing underneath, it'll change the consistency of the moisture on the road.

So many people don't slow down for the first ice. Don't let anyone bully you into going faster on that country road than you see fit. It's not because they know something you don't; it's becauset they don't know something that you do!!

Great advice Katie - I'm going my speed until I get comfortable here. Me thinks it will be an interesting winter season all the way around.

Please do. You set your pase.
I have been honk at, cussed at and have been hit with high beams, Oh and a few fingers. But the way I look at it, you don't like my driving, you can pass me and, I have front wheel drive and know my place, you are the idiot. I will see you in the ditch ahead of me. Some people think they are invincible cause they have 4 wheel drive, Ice has no boundaries don't care what you drive.
I had a old car a few years ago with rear wheel drive, coming home from work and I spun out on a big hill almost went down a 35' embankment, but got the car to stop on the top of the bank. A Safeway truck was behind me, He stop his truck and help me get the car back on the road, I fishtailed up the rest of the hill but had control of the car, he stayed behind me until I was safe on top. I wish I got his name would of sent great Kudos to him. I did not get the truck number, but I did send a message to Safeway of the time and date and to tell them what happened and wanted to send a thank you to that driver who was on that route.
But never pull over, that can get you in real trouble.

I'm from Alaska and grew up driving in ice fog and snow, so I know how to drive in the snow. The conditions here are unique and make it much more difficult than many other places with snow.

People say that we don't know how to drive here. But the problem isn't that - it's the conditions I mentioned above combined with the fact that we have so many situations where recommended speeds on a road are so variable. One minute you're supposed to go 25; the next it's 55.

Mary, I agree with you. It doesn't matter whether you have 2 wheels with no traction or 4 wheels with no traction. You still have no traction. :-) That having been said, I'm blown away at how well full time all-wheel drive does in the snow.

I agree with snow, lived on the east coast for awhile learned snow is easy. lived here in Kisap Co. for 20+ years snow can be a problem, when the snow plows covers your driveway and you have this 3' wall to get your car over it, can be a big problem, They don't care on these country roads. Not kidding. And Ice is a hole differant story.

Keep talking guys, I'll just stay home when it snows. There isn't anywhere that I have to be that's too important! I'm used to driving behind tractors and plows, this should be quite interesting. You're making me really glad the road on our hill is not paved otherwise I'd probably just slide down onto the highway. If I managed to miss traffic I'd end up in the marsh on the other side. Sounds like if I do go out, I might need to throw some 'winter travel' supplies in the back of the truck with a shovel. Guess I'll spend some time finding non hilly roads to get around on this year too. Did I tell you how much I like this warm weather?!

Maybe we won't have any snow this winter. We generally only get a few snowfalls a year and some years they don't even affect the roads. Poor Mary, having snow plowed up on your driveway. That's a lotta snow.

Here's my road this January. My little rear-wheel-drive pickup didn't have a chance. The Subaru made it with only a hiccup or two:

This is pretty typical for a snow in my back yard:

Katie, that's pretty to look at. I can imagine that it doesn't take much on the steeper roads to really cause some difficulties though. My kiddos were thrilled to see your pics - they love snow! Thanks for sharing.

The good news is that even if we don't have snow here, it's only a couple hours to snow in the passes, and three or four hours over to the desert on the other side. So the kids should have some fun this winter!!

My road isn't maintained (except by us) and so is gravel and dirt. The downside is the bumps, the upside is that we only slip/slide down to the next rock. LOL