[half fast]

I took a walk downtown Mt. Vernon yesterday to check on the Skagit River...It's supposed to crest at 10:00 this morning. What have you seen?

Riverwalk Park Mount Vernon

Riverwalk Park Mount Vernon

Riverwalk Park Mount Vernon

Downton Mount Vernon protection - Riverwalk Park

[Backpacker Joe]

They dont call it the "Mighty Skagit" for nothing.

[Pyrites]

Shocking what happening a few miles north in B.C. CBC had an engineering professor say they might be able to get temporary bridges in place on the Coquihalla in a few months. I don’t understand how it’s possible unti/l winter is over. Of course everything used to go up and down the canyon, and further south Hwy 3 is a much better road than those days. But that’s back when the Okanagan was tiny sawmills and orchards.

[gb]

Vancouver is cut-off from the rest of Canada: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-flood-watch-road-closures-1.6249154

[treeswarper]

Hmmm, will that mean more traffic down 97? Already there was a massive increase due to the snowbirds heading south in their behemoths. I haven't checked Camp Walmart lately. It's wasn't used much during the border closure. The OkanOgan river is running high and muddy. It isn't at any dangerous level. Lots of course woody debris and sediment flowing south. Saw something big floating down yesterday. Maybe an apple bin? Couch? We didn't get much precip here, so the runoff would be a Blame Canada effect. I have friends up there, and last I heard, they had chest waders on and were moving their vehicles, again. Hope they are OK.

[Pyrites]

[Anne Elk]

I'd no idea BC was hit that hard. What happened there and in Skagit/Whatcom counties is reminiscent of that huge flood in the south counties back in - what, 2006? - when parts of I-5 were underwater. I have pics from the Times saved somewhere, will post if I can find 'em For the Coquihalla to be taken out is huge. That was built as the safer, faster, alternative route to the TransCanada (Hwy 1) through the Fraser Canyon, which always terrified me b/c the semi trucks and loggers would just barrel through it, and ride your bumper. Looks like it will be the main route again for some time, unless it got wiped out somewhere also. Haven't heard.

[treeswarper]

The spelling difference has always amused me. I am easily amused. Now, the east side of BC got hammered as well. My friends live in the Princeton area. The Tulameen River was not behaving and the Similkameen was quite high. The Similkameen crosses into OkanOgan county (maybe we should always use the upper case O?) at the big community of Nighthawk where there is also a border crossing place, and flows into the OkanOgan River near Oroville. The town of Princeton was evacuated mainly because they had to turn off their water supply and part of the town had water coming up into it. I've not been down to look at the river today. Maybe this afternoon. Now, should the Canadians use an upper case A? As in OkanAgan?

That's the Similkameen going over the infamous Enloe Dam on a day of good behavior. I sometimes say Similkameen when I want to say Sinlahekin.

[treeswarper]

There's a picture of Princeton in this. https://www.gofundme.com/f/princeton-flood-fund

[Cyclopath]

There were a lot of terrible floods this year.

[Pyrites]

AE, Trans-Canada 1 down the canyon was way over capacity. Largely relieved by the Coquihalla. Not much done since then except repaving. Hwy 3 has had this and that done over the years to continue to improve it. I think TS is right, Hwy 97 traffic will go up. Maybe a lot.

[Malachai Constant]

Driving up the Fraser Canyon with a canoe on a roof rack was more thrilling than most class 4 whitewater descents.

[treeswarper]

[Pyrites]

I’ve talked with Canadians from Calgary who in normal times drive I-90 to go to Vancouver.

[zephyr]

Here's some helicopter overflight footage of the flooding in the Abbotsford area. ~z Twitter video link (The sound is off.)