Skagit Valley farmers spared Mother's Natures wrath
Skagit Valley farmers spared Mother's Natures wrath
Farmers in Washington's Skagit Valley are waiting for fields to dry in the aftermath of torrential rainstorms that had the potential to cause serious flooding.
The "Pineapple Express," a weather system phenomenon that originates in the Indian Ocean and passes over Hawaii, hits Washington's coastal mountains, keeping the western part of the state wet. On Nov. 4, emergency personnel were bracing for possible flooding of the Skagit River. It was initially feared that the precipitation would result in the biggest flood in the valley in over three years as the Skagit River continued to swell.
Initial reports anticipated flooding near Concrete, where it was thought the Skagit River would crest at 39 feet -- 11 feet above flood stage. On Nov. 7, the river crested in Concrete at 39.77 feet in the early-morning hours. Water rushed at a rate of 145,000 cubic feet per second at the crest.
The river also crested in Mount Vernon in the late afternoon at 34.9 feet with water flowing at a rate of 117,000 cubic feet per second.
While public schools were closed and a number of county meetings and public functions were cancelled that day, national election-day activities proceeded in the rain-soaked county.
"Flooding hasn't had an impact on our farm," said Jack Wallace, sales manager of G&D Wallace Inc. in Burlington, WA. "But the rain has."
Mr. Wallace said that his company was in the middle of potato harvest when the rain started to fall. "It's made the potato harvest difficult," he told The Produce News. "It's all a bunch of wet, soggy fields. We'll have to wait for things to dry out."
Different potato fields have different soil compositions, with precipitation absorbing into the ground at different rates. "It's a field-by-field specific issue," he said.
He added, "Most farmers have harvested their lower at-risk fields. Some fields might have been left for late digging."
Mr. Wallace anticipated digging at G&D Wallace to begin again during the weekend of Nov. 11-12.
Wet weather in the Skagit Valley is nothing new to area farmers. "We've had some pretty bad floods over the years," Mr. Wallace stated. He did not minimize the potential danger that could have been realized had the Skagit River flooded. Mr. Wallace said that the river is one of the higher-volume rivers in the United States.
Maureen Royal, director of sales for CF Fresh in Sedro-Wooley, WA, said that the company has only one grower in the affected area. She indicated that the grower is located at a higher elevation and there was consequently no flood threat to the operation.
The balance of "product grown is east of the mountains," she indicated. Twelve National Guardsmen were sent to eastern Skagit County on Nov. 6 to render assistance to individuals who did not heed evacuation warnings in the Concrete area. Additional troops were dispatched to the area the following day.
Public works employees and firefighters were sent to sandbag the Skagit River, creating a barrier in downtown Mount Vernon to keep the river in check.
The deluge had emergency personnel on high alert in anticipation of possible evacuations in low-lying communities. Evacuations in Mount Vernon, Burlington and Sedro-Wooley were eventually cancelled.
Other locations in Washington did not fare so well. Gov. Christine Gregoire declared a state of emergency for 18 counties. National Guard units were called in, and the state's Emergency Management Division prepared to render assistance.
About 200 elk hunters were evacuated from hunting camps near the Cowlitz River. Seattle resident Andy McDonald, a 20-year-old elk hunter, died after his truck was swept away in the river.
Over 10 inches of rain fell at Mount Rainier National Park in a 24-hour period, and mudslides occurred in Seattle and Tacoma, making auto and rail travel difficult.
The "Pineapple Express," a weather system phenomenon that originates in the Indian Ocean and passes over Hawaii, hits Washington's coastal mountains, keeping the western part of the state wet. On Nov. 4, emergency personnel were bracing for possible flooding of the Skagit River. It was initially feared that the precipitation would result in the biggest flood in the valley in over three years as the Skagit River continued to swell.
Initial reports anticipated flooding near Concrete, where it was thought the Skagit River would crest at 39 feet -- 11 feet above flood stage. On Nov. 7, the river crested in Concrete at 39.77 feet in the early-morning hours. Water rushed at a rate of 145,000 cubic feet per second at the crest.
The river also crested in Mount Vernon in the late afternoon at 34.9 feet with water flowing at a rate of 117,000 cubic feet per second.
While public schools were closed and a number of county meetings and public functions were cancelled that day, national election-day activities proceeded in the rain-soaked county.
"Flooding hasn't had an impact on our farm," said Jack Wallace, sales manager of G&D Wallace Inc. in Burlington, WA. "But the rain has."
Mr. Wallace said that his company was in the middle of potato harvest when the rain started to fall. "It's made the potato harvest difficult," he told The Produce News. "It's all a bunch of wet, soggy fields. We'll have to wait for things to dry out."
Different potato fields have different soil compositions, with precipitation absorbing into the ground at different rates. "It's a field-by-field specific issue," he said.
He added, "Most farmers have harvested their lower at-risk fields. Some fields might have been left for late digging."
Mr. Wallace anticipated digging at G&D Wallace to begin again during the weekend of Nov. 11-12.
Wet weather in the Skagit Valley is nothing new to area farmers. "We've had some pretty bad floods over the years," Mr. Wallace stated. He did not minimize the potential danger that could have been realized had the Skagit River flooded. Mr. Wallace said that the river is one of the higher-volume rivers in the United States.
Maureen Royal, director of sales for CF Fresh in Sedro-Wooley, WA, said that the company has only one grower in the affected area. She indicated that the grower is located at a higher elevation and there was consequently no flood threat to the operation.
The balance of "product grown is east of the mountains," she indicated. Twelve National Guardsmen were sent to eastern Skagit County on Nov. 6 to render assistance to individuals who did not heed evacuation warnings in the Concrete area. Additional troops were dispatched to the area the following day.
Public works employees and firefighters were sent to sandbag the Skagit River, creating a barrier in downtown Mount Vernon to keep the river in check.
The deluge had emergency personnel on high alert in anticipation of possible evacuations in low-lying communities. Evacuations in Mount Vernon, Burlington and Sedro-Wooley were eventually cancelled.
Other locations in Washington did not fare so well. Gov. Christine Gregoire declared a state of emergency for 18 counties. National Guard units were called in, and the state's Emergency Management Division prepared to render assistance.
About 200 elk hunters were evacuated from hunting camps near the Cowlitz River. Seattle resident Andy McDonald, a 20-year-old elk hunter, died after his truck was swept away in the river.
Over 10 inches of rain fell at Mount Rainier National Park in a 24-hour period, and mudslides occurred in Seattle and Tacoma, making auto and rail travel difficult.
