The massive flood in December 2007 was actually three storms back-to-back. The first brought low temperatures and as much as 14 inches of snowfall.
That was followed by a Pineapple Express, which brought high winds, more rain and, in just a few hours, temperatures soaring from near freezing to more than 60 degrees in some areas, adding snowmelt to the rainfall. The third storm brought high winds again, mostly to the coast.
As the water roared down the Chehalis River, it caused heavy damage. Initial estimates had $166 million in damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure.
Interstate 5, at the peak of the flood, was under 10 feet of water for a 5-mile stretch through the heart of the Twin Cities. I-5 wouldn’t reopen for four days.
The Washington State Department of Transportation at the time estimated for every day of closure of the interstate, trucking firms lost $4 million.
Across the state, the series of storms caused an estimated $1 billion in damage.
The point is, when the Newaukum, Chehalis, Skookumchuck and Cowlitz rivers overtop their banks, it causes dramatic economic destruction.
When the water finally drained, some county, state and federal officials pressed for I-5 protection, as the interstate is the major West Coast north to south transportation corridor. In all, since 1990, I-5 has been closed due to flooding four times.
The leadership found within Lewis County vowed to push for basinwide flooding solutions. The fear was if the federal and state officials and politicians got I-5 fixed for flooding, the rest of the basin, which flows through much rural lands, would not get flood protection.
It was important to link both I-5 and the rest of the basin in one full package of protection.
While some believe the effort to protect the basin has been bogged down by study after study, the truth is much progress has been made by the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority, a group appointed by the governor, and through efforts of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.
Last week the Flood Authority and the tribe announced they will be asking Gov. Jay Inslee to include $100 million in an anticipated $12.3 billion transportation package.
The money would pay to protect the major roads in Southwest Washington: I-5, U.S. Highway 12 and state Route 6.
Key to the request, and a much-appreciated point in a draft letter to Inslee, is this is not an I-5-only effort.
“... we do strongly support a strategy that will include I-5 protection and protection of state Route 6 and U.S. Highway 12 as parts of a basinwide solution to damage from catastrophic flooding,” they wrote.
Protecting our major roads is prudent. The floods will surely come again. The state Legislature, if it passes a transportation plan, should include the $100 million request with the caveat that basinwide protection still needs attention.
