In case you missed it on the national news, Washington and Oregon got slammed by hurricane force winds and record rainfall on Monday.  This, after receiving snow just the day before.  The heavy rain, combined with the melting snow to create the worst flooding ever on record.

Thousands of homes have been lost, and a 20-mile stretch of I-5 (THE freeway that connects Washington with Oregon/California) is closed due to flooding (over 10 feet in some areas).  Many bridges have been destroyed.  Hundreds had to be rescued by helicopter. Fortunately, the death toll is less than 15, however thousands of livestock perished.

The immense distruction is so widespread, they cannot even estimate the damage in dollars.  The closure of I-5 alone is amounting to 4 million dollars lost per day.

Because this has happened in a "far corner" of the U.S., the national news has little coverage nor mention about it.  

For more information, please see these:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/photos/popupV2.asp?SubID=3312&page=2&GTitle=Flooding%20at%20Centralia%20and%20over%20I%2D5&pubdate=12/04/2007

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/photogalleries/localnews2004055528/

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/photos/popupV2.asp?SubID=3306&page=1&gtitle=Winter%20Storm

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22124413

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22124420

Glenn, what areas were hardest hit?

My mom lives in the San Juans so I assume her place is fine ( She is in Chile, so i can't get ahold of her)

But my brother is in Bellingham and is not answering his cell.

Just trying to figure out howworried to be :-/

That's awful news to hear, especially around the holidays.  Now families will be lucky to have a place to stay for Christmas.  Prayers out to all the families.

:'(

It hit the north and south parts of western washington the worst.  So from approx. Everett northward and Tacoma south.  Of the 2 halves, the southern part got hit the worst.  Bellingham had a lot of high winds and some flooding, and so did parts of the San Juans, so they're probably OK, but may have suffered some damage.

Just got ahold of my little brother.

He lives on a big hill so apart from some wind he is doing fine.

My mom won't be back for another couple weeks but their house is pretty far up on the island too.

SCARY! We could sure use some of that water down here though.