Skagit Valley flood update

The Skagit River is *supposed* to be way off to the right, but the flooding upriver was getting worse, and the flood gates were opened, funneling thousands upon thousands of gallons of water into the farmland downstream.

The neighborhood you can see here has 3 houses that got water inside, and the other 3 just got water in the garages. My parents are the dark roof to the left of the 2 trees in the middle.

My mom, showing how high the water came. 20 men from the church came once the water went down, and pulled out all the carpet, the plywood they could (more on that later), and the bottom 24.5 inches. (So a piece of sheetrock can be cut in half and fill in without too many cuts.)

As you can see here, the subfloor has held up well, but all the plywood had to be taken out. This wall was built 35 years ago on top of that flooring, which is causing problems with the removal. In the old parts of the house, the walls were built first, then the flooring was put down, making it much easier to pull it up.

Everything in the house is covered in a thin layer of sheetrock dust.

This wall is open on both sides now, and I grabbed my sister's ankle through the hole. She did not appreciate that.

There are fans in every room and a dehumidifier that gets moved around. The crawlspace has been pumped out. This was my room the last time I lived at home. Wood panneling and wallpaper from the 70's, when my parents first moved in.

My dad using his "oscillating saw" to cut the old floor out. My parents, and their friends and the church members, will put the house back together.

One of the neighbors was able to get floor insurance. $4,000 a year, and a $7,000 deductible. My parents have been in this house for 47 years, and had squirreled some money aside in case of this. It will be cheaper in the long run, and they won't be on a wait list with the other 400 houses in the valley.

One of the neighbors bought a camper, and he's living in it in his front yard while his house molds and he waits for the appraiser.

The half bath, stripped down and ready for the sheetrock to be removed. They have 2 bathrooms, and it is very important to have at least one working at a time, so this one will get rebuilt first.

The bolt I had a hell of a time getting off the toilet so we could take it out. Also my parents from 2007.