The most jarring visual image of this week’s torrential rain in parts of the state came from Snoqualmie Falls. Many a video posted on social media showed the Snoqualmie River in King County surging over the 268-foot falls, placing the recent storms into an easily understood context.
But the impact of the downpour that soaked northwest Washington extended well beyond the falls. Portions of the city of Snoqualmie were evacuated; the Quinault Indian Nation on the Olympic Peninsula declared a state of emergency on its reservation; and flooding was reported on at least a dozen rivers. Perhaps more important, in a roundabout way it illuminated the issues of government spending and taxes and how citizens work together as a society.
But first, the tangible effect of the storms: Rainfall in parts of the southwest Olympics — traditionally one of the wettest portions of the continental United States — was reported at 13 inches in the span of about 24 hours, damaging homes and hampering driving and commerce. Rail service between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., was suspended because of the threat of mudslides, and rocks that tumbled down a slope caused Interstate 90 to be closed for a while near Snoqualmie Pass.
While the harsh weather largely missed Southwest Washington this time around, it did provide some lessons for this part of the state. Although Clark County is fortunate to not be subject to the kind of rainfall that can be dumped upon the Olympic Range, rain remains a way of life here. It is the lifeblood of this region, driving traditional industries such as timber and fishing, and annually replenishing the Columbia River that is this area’s signature landmark. As the saying goes, everybody complains about the weather but nobody does anything about it — and this region would be much different if they did.