Thanks to the recent snow melt, combined with days of rain falling onto already overly saturated ground, it’s no surprise Lewis County just suffered a major flooding event. Many roadways were covered in water, and the Washington State Department of Transportation even closed a 20-mile section of the I-5 freeway for a spell. Chehalis and Centralia, nearby towns, saw city streets flooded, as well as many homes and businesses. Out here in Boistfort Valley, most of the roads into town were impassable for a couple days, with several cars and trucks getting stranded in spots. Driving along the main road, it was easier to count the fields that were not flooded than those that were.

Bryon and I came out of the situation mostly unscathed. Our seasonal lake expanded on all sides and our pond crept closer to the house, making us nervous but the ducks and geese supremely happy. With a steady surge of water moving over the road to our south, our northern pasture flooded as well, with overflow edging into our chicken yard and the pig paddock. However, there was no damage, and we quickly remedied most of the issues by moving the mobile chicken coops to higher ground and adding dry hay to everyone’s pens and shelters. The house stayed snug, and we only had a few leaks in the garage and shop. 

But what struck me the most in this situation is how Valley residents are there for each other. From the volunteer fire department sharing road updates and offering help on social media, to opening the Grange as an evacuation spot, to checking in on neighbors — people proved that no man is an island…even though some houses did a pretty good impression of one. As I was messaging with local friends about whether anyone needed anything or later pondering if we could finish chores in time to make an early-morning clean-up event, which turned out to have more volunteers than needed, I was reminded again how lucky we are to live here.