Chehalis River Flood Documentary Set for Monday on TVW

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Ten years after the largest flood in recorded history swept through the Chehalis River Valley, a documentary that details the devastation and subsequent attempts to curtail future flood dangers will debut on TVW.

TVW is a television station dedicated to coverage of Washington state politics, including live coverage of the Legislature. At 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 4, the station will air a documentary titled, “High Water — Ten Years Later,” which will examine the force and aftermath of the Chehalis River flooding that was most intense from Dec. 3 to Dec. 4, 2007. The flooding is believed to have directly caused the death of one person, Winlock resident Nathan Hiatt, who is believed to have been swept away by a raging creek, though his body was not recovered. The floods drowned whole herds of livestock, blocked Interstate 5 for days and swamped hundreds of homes between Pe Ell and Hoquiam in thick, putrid mud.  

“It’s a compilation of a lot of pictures of the flood and interviews of some of the survivors,” explained Mike McClanahan, producer of the documentary.

Those interviews include Adna farmer John Brunoff, Lewis County Commissioner and Flood Authority member Edna Fund, representatives from the Chehalis and Quinault Indian tribes, and Lewis County Emergency Management Director Steve Mansfield, who was sheriff at the time of the floods.



“It’s a retrospective on the 10th anniversary of the worst flood in the basin’s history, at least in its recorded history,” said McClanahan. “It’s also an examination of the challenges facing decision makers about the path ahead and the conflicts related to finding a way to mitigate flood damage without harming the nature infrastructure, particularly as it relates to aquatic species.”

The film will also take a look at the role of the newly established Office of the Chehalis Basin and the various proposals on the table for a prospective dam in Pe Ell. The documentary is about 30 minutes long and is slated to re-air on TVW on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 8 p.m. The documentary will also be accessible online on the TVW website at TVW.org. In Lewis County, Comcast subscribers can find TVW on channel 23.