Flooding Update

The rain is finally abating. Now it is lightly raining - not pouring anymore. By tomorrow it is supposed to start to dry out! Hurray we can definitely use it. The weather service said that Longview received 4.5 inches of rain yesterday (1/7) and Castle Rock measured nearly 8 inches in the last 48 hours. (Jan 6-7) That's a lot of rain people!!!

Reports I heard earlier were that it was the second highest flood levels SW Washington has experienced since the dikes went in. The Cowlitz River at Castle Rock was at 53+ feet which is 7+ feet above flood stage. (I wonder if the dikes weren't here if the flooding would be as bad as back in 1923.) Luckily, all the dikes are holding and the D.E.M. put 7 extra pumps in Lexington so they are ok. They have now cleared the evacuation orders for Toutle and South Kelso. The evacuation orders are still in effect for Woodland and the Greenacres neighborhood in Castle Rock - which is the older subdivision North of the High School. (One of M's best friends live there. We haven't heard from them so I assume they had to leave.)

I have been hoping to go to work / school tomorrow via the back way, but there has been a water main break on Coal Creek just above where we used to live so the road is closed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll have it fixed and the road open. The other challenge is I'm starting to see mudslides. (There have been 2 or 3 minor ones in the ravine at Delameter and a big one that keeps creeping towards the road down by the cow pastures.)

We'll keep you in the loop. The worst of the flooding seems to be over. We drove around a little bit this afternoon. I'll post them in a bit. (I think I just heard a transformer blow so I want to fill the bathtub just in case.) For you city folks...no electricity means no water pump for the well. Well, take care and see ya on the flip side.