Watersheds on the Olympic Peninsula, east side of the central Cascade Mountains including Yakima and Wenatchee, and Walla Walla region, which are vital to apple and wine production, will be hit hardest with drought conditions, the governor’s office said.
April 17, 2015
Seattle - This is the first time in a decade (click here) Washington's governor has declared a drought. Friday he announced new drought areas, which means 44 percent of the state is now in drought. We have had plenty of rain this year, but, the Department of Ecology says that's not the problem; the issue is snowpack.
"This year we're at 100 percent rainfall but only 24 percent snowpack, and that makes a big difference," explains Maia Bellon, the director of the state Department of Ecology.
We decided to explore the issue at Olympia's farmers market, where produce is in abundance on a gorgeous Friday afternoon; that sounds like good news. The bad news is it will likely be short-lived. An abundantly warm and dry winter means crops are maturing early, so this feast will likely be followed by a critical famine.
We've calculated that we will have the lowest river flows in the state of Washington that we've had in the last 64 years," Bellon tell us....
December 10, 2015
Seattle - Gov. Jay Inslee (click here) declared a state of emergency in Washington on Wednesday after days of heavy rain caused rivers to rise, flooding and landslides across the west part of the state. Multiple river remained under a flood warning.
The heavy rain and flooding have claimed the lives of two people in Oregon. A 60 year old southeast Portland woman died early Wednesday morning after a tree fell onto her house. The woman was in bed sleeping when the 30 inch diameter tree fell and nearly sheared the house in two. The woman's husband and brother, who were also in the house, were not hurt.
One person drowned and another was rescued after they drove their car into high water near Clatskanie, Ore.
A man pulled himself out of the vehicle as it sand and called for help. A neighbor saw him standing on the car and flagged down officials, who were able to rescue him. A water rescue crew towed the vehicle, which was submerged in about 12 feet of water, out...
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April 17, 2015
Seattle - This is the first time in a decade (click here) Washington's governor has declared a drought. Friday he announced new drought areas, which means 44 percent of the state is now in drought. We have had plenty of rain this year, but, the Department of Ecology says that's not the problem; the issue is snowpack.
"This year we're at 100 percent rainfall but only 24 percent snowpack, and that makes a big difference," explains Maia Bellon, the director of the state Department of Ecology.
We decided to explore the issue at Olympia's farmers market, where produce is in abundance on a gorgeous Friday afternoon; that sounds like good news. The bad news is it will likely be short-lived. An abundantly warm and dry winter means crops are maturing early, so this feast will likely be followed by a critical famine.
We've calculated that we will have the lowest river flows in the state of Washington that we've had in the last 64 years," Bellon tell us....
December 10, 2015
Seattle - Gov. Jay Inslee (click here) declared a state of emergency in Washington on Wednesday after days of heavy rain caused rivers to rise, flooding and landslides across the west part of the state. Multiple river remained under a flood warning.
The heavy rain and flooding have claimed the lives of two people in Oregon. A 60 year old southeast Portland woman died early Wednesday morning after a tree fell onto her house. The woman was in bed sleeping when the 30 inch diameter tree fell and nearly sheared the house in two. The woman's husband and brother, who were also in the house, were not hurt.
One person drowned and another was rescued after they drove their car into high water near Clatskanie, Ore.
A man pulled himself out of the vehicle as it sand and called for help. A neighbor saw him standing on the car and flagged down officials, who were able to rescue him. A water rescue crew towed the vehicle, which was submerged in about 12 feet of water, out...
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As Washington state and the Pacific Northwest are hit with heavy rain and flood risks, a surging Snoqualmie Falls is captured in aerial footage. VPC
