During the Deluge

Coming to the Northwest, I anticipated rain but this appears unusual even for Northwest. Yesterday, after about 18 hours of downpour, people were already commenting about the rain. I would not expect rain to be a dominant concern since that is a normal expectation if you choose to live here. By yesterday afternoon, rain and flooding were THE topic. Rain poured in sweeping sheets across the city, sometimes lighter but mostly heavy and always wet.

Despite the weather, I saw at least three cyclists heading downtown. People were walking. One local I talked with yesterday said, "There are no bad days here, just bad rain gear days." Mine leaves something to be desired for an urban setting, so I expect to make some changes. I will also be figuring how to bicycle in what will be a cold, wet environment for a few months.

Last time I relocated from state to state, Arizona experienced severe flooding after my arrival. The flooding wasn't quite this immediate but my newly adopted state had two severe floods within my first 18 months. The Winter 1983 flood on the Colorado River during a very wet winter statewide almost took out Glen Canyon Dam, scoured the Grand Canyon for the first time since Glen Canyon's gates were closed in 1963 and damaged property all along the lower Colorado. In October a storm washed out much of Havasupai Canyon, the largest side canyon in the Grand Canyon and noted for its travertine falls and emerald pools. The storm trapped tourists and the Havasupai community in the canyon. The same storm hit southern Arizona, flooding the the Gila River basin, taking out the I-10 bridge over the river and washing out the iconic cottonwood growth in Arivaipa Canyon.

God supposedly promised no more exterminating floods to Noah. I guess that promise did not cover periodic, damaging floods.