I just kind of wanted to let everyone know how severe the Oregon Coast, West Oregon and West Washington is...flooding has caused mud slides onto I5 and therefore it's closed between Portland and Seattle. Which is very difficult. There is a constant truck traffic thru there all the way from California. Many rivers and streams have flooded right into homes. Trees are still lying across power lines, and so there is no electricity for thousands of people from North Cal. to North Washington...Shelters are forming here and there, so people can have food and warmth with families and many elderly. It's heartbreaking. But there are many in these small towns that are volunteering with manpower, such as making sandbags to keep water out of homes. Even some of the prisons here are allowing the inmates to help with manpower.
The winds have finally stopped and so have the rains. But this is one of the worst things that has taken place here in many many years. I just thought I would let all of you know. I live in a small valley and was pretty safe for the most part from the winds, but we had a bit of flooding from all the rain, and were out of electricity for a bit, and got a small leak from the roof. But other than that we are doing ok...Verena

Just another day on the east side of the mountains in Washington but the west side had winds up to 100 mph and some places got 12" of rain from one storm. Last count 9 people have died in Oregon and Washington as a result of the storm. The Chehalis River crested at 75 feet, an all time record high and put parts of I-5 (the main route from Canada through California) under 5 feet of water. It's a real mess. I used to live near the Chehalis River and worked in a mill that was on the Chehalis. The house I lived in is surely under water now.

I've been thinking about you two, glad to hear you missed the brunt of it. Keeping everyone in my prayers... ~Mary~

*crosses fingers, arms, legs and eyes*

Good luck and hopefully the system moves through quickly with no further damage.

I have a friend who just sent me a message saying her house is under 3 feet of water & they had to be rescued by boat. A terrible thing & I hope everyone who lives out there is all right.

I just found out there are literally thousands of trees down,and many many of them crushed homes and cars. The trees just snapped. People are volunteering food here in Portland tho. And anything else that is helpful. On I5 in Wa there are some areas that the hiway is covered with 10 feet of water!! And now it is raining again!...I know we all think of these folks. I can only imagine how it must have been with Katrina.
Well, we all have to keep all in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you all for your comments, please keep them coming, I think it shows what a good "family" we are here in caedes. V

My uncle lives in Vancouver WA...he has said it is pretty ugly. Luckily, his family is safe. My prayers will be with those hit by the storm. Having lived with my uncle for a year, I am all too aware of how chilly it gets this time of year...add to that, the floods and possible loss of homes...I pray people can stay warm and safe and still manage to muster up some happiness for the holidays.

PS- what a testament to the true meaning of the holidays...that so many are volunteering and giving to others in this time of need.

We're getting some pretty rough weather here too especially around the New South Wales Border (north of Sydney)... cyclonic winds, hail as big as cricket balls, flooding.. been a couple of people killed from it, lots of houses damaged.. where I am we've been hit by some big storms, flood damage, loss of power.. where you guys are freezing, i'm melting in high humidity and its not even 10am yet..

Wow, I didn't realize all that was going on over there. When I lived in North Dakota, we used to get hail the size of oranges, and it would dent cars and mobile homes...pretty scarey. High humidity is awful too, during the 14 years I lived in Louisiana, oh gosh the humidity was at 96 or so!! terrible. So I can well understand your feelings. I never realized Aussie has that kind of dampness. I hope you are faring alright, let us know ok? Hugs to you..verena

well we have been in a huge drought for the last 15 years or so.. i was on level 6 water restrictions which means you can't even water the garden now.. so this rain is fantastic