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Hamilton Flood History Index |
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In Search of Dry Ground Town of Hamilton has had ongoing struggle with Skagit River In 1897, Hamilton was flooded for the third
time in four years. Fed up with the Skagit River, the residents of Hamilton
picked up their town and moved it to higher ground. … But Mayor Tim
Bates can see the future of Hamilton on a 100-acre section of land, now
vacant except for two sets of power lines running into the distance. Covered by a blanket of snow Wednesday,
the land seemed to be nothing special.
But to Bales, it's flat, level and high enough that it won’t
flood. It's a sharp contrast with
the present town of Hamilton, where many homes' bottom floors are six feet
above the ground, where large homes coexist with narrow manufactured homes,
where dozens of people live near the Skagit River in recreational vehicles
and regard evacuation as routine.
The town now has about 330 residents, a far cry from the 1,500 or so
during the boom times, a century ago when lumber and mining fueled the town. …
Tony and Jessica Osborn are buying a house that is in the floodway. They can see the marks from the 1995
flood, they said, and the previous owners told them the refrigerator was
bouncing against the ceiling.
Still, living in Hamilton is worth the flood risk, they said as they
talked with friends gathered around the bar at Willie’s Hi Lead Inn,
the local tavern. “I enjoy
the area. It’s quiet and
peaceful up here,” Tony Osborn said. It’s a comfortable place to live
in, and a good place for children to grow up, he said. Even if he believed it was possible
for the town to move, he’d rather elevate his house. … Even if nothing happens … the
town won't fade away, said Jim Bates, the mayor's father said. “This is an old, old town,”
he said, “That's why it's hard to destroy it.” |
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October Howler Wind Roars, river rises, power fails The Skagit River rose to within a foot of
the top of its dikes today in the aftermath of a fierce storm that lashed the
northern Puget Sound region with winds up to 79 mph, causing widespread power
outages, damage from falling trees and the evacuation of some eastern Skagit County
communities. Residents of low-lying
areas of Hamilton. Concrete and Marblemount were ordered by the Skagit County
Department of Emergency Management to evacuate their homes tills morning. Shelters were being provided for the evacuees
at Community Hall, in Marblemount.
Grassmere Fire Station, in Concrete and at the Hamilton Baptist Church.
which was still waiting for power to be restored as
of 9:30 this morning. |
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Hamilton Residents Prepare for another bout with floods Dealing with floods is such a way of life
in Hamilton that people often joke about it. But flooding also has brought
the town's inhabitants closer. They often help. each
other pack furniture, keepsakes and electronics into moving trucks when they
evacuate the rain-soaked town. …
James Thomason, co-owner of Willie's
Tavern on the comer of Cumberland and Maple streets, hastily hefted several large
speakers out of the building and into a U-Haul truck. He's lived in Hamilton for years and
has seen the damage done by the 1995 flood that left the town under water. Through the years, the tavern has been
equipped to survive high water. Electrical outlets are above the 1995 flood
level, now marked out on a beam next to the bar in a black line, Even the slot
for the big-screen color television on the wall was cut just above that fine,
to keep the television dry - just in case. … Theresa Boots, a friend of Thomason,
tried to help drag items out of the bar, while the water continued to move
closer just blocks away. Meantime, she was wondering how much time- it would
take to secure her own home across the street. Boots moved to Hamilton this year.
Although she's heard the horror stories from locals, she was only getting a
taste of the kind of disaster they’d lived through. “I just moved
here and I'm not sure what's going to happen,” she said. “I
didn't know it would be like this. Everyone just panics.” Not knowing what to expect is the
worst, said Bud Cook, a Hamilton resident who spent the afternoon loading several
lawn mowers he uses to make a little extra money into some trailers to take
to a friend's house on the hill north of his home. “I can't afford to move,”
he said, while driving his Yard Man riding lawn mower onto a trailer and
tying it down. “You always have a little consternation about something
like this because people aren't sure whether to leave or not.” |
See
11/03/2003
SVH – 2003 topped 1995 at Willie’s Tavern. |
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Hamilton: ‘The Town Is Toast This Time’ The fields between Highway 20 and Cape Horn
and Hamilton were covered in some places with water early today. The water had risen so high it tipped vehicles
over halfway and covered several RVs left in driveways, and it crept up the
sides of several barns and homes.
Along Highway 20 near Hamilton, cars slowly made their way through about
4 inches of water. Skagit County
Search and Rescue vehicles scouted flooded areas looking for people stranded
by the flood. The town of Hamilton was completely under water, some areas as
deep as 5 or 6 feet. Trailers, homes and vehicles were submerged in the muddy
water that started crawling over the banks of the river early this morning. … Melinda Nersten
stood on the small knoll at Pettit and Bella streets .
The Hamilton resident's house sits dry just about 15 feet from floodwaters.
Having lived in Hamilton for nine years, she remembered the 1995 floods and
said she thinks the flood waters she's seen today are worse. … “I
woke up this morning, looked out my window and saw the reflection of the
lights on the water, and said. ‘Now we've got something to worry about’,”
she said. “The town is toast this time.” |
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Did Hamilton take it on the chin for Burlington? Burlington – Did widespread flooding
in the Hamilton area during last week's major event spare Burlington from
serious damage? That is one
theory that 'some longtime flood-watchers, including City of Burlington
Engineer Rod Garrett, believe may have happened when the Skagit spilled its
banks on Tuesday, Oct. 21. Besides
the 'usual high water incidents and lots of sandbagging operations, activity
in Burlington was limited, Predicted heights and pressure on the dikes that
make up the city's southern border never materialized. "I think that’s because
there are places in Hamilton that were never flooded before. The river
spread' out much more than anyone expected and it helped keep it all from
coming over (the dikes) down here," said Garrett, who took a helicopter
tour over the heaviest damage in the eastern parts of the county. … "That's a huge difference
--- six feet between Concrete and Burlington. You have to think that extra water
spread out somewhere else between here and there,” he added. |
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in our files This photo shows a big flood that struck
the Hamilton area - this one dating back to 1896. Townspeople were caught ill-prepared
and the surging Skagit floodwaters destroyed much of the logging community. |
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Flood hardens
residents’ resolve Many plan to stay
where they are “I've been through three floods,”
said another Hamilton man spotted wading his photo
shows a big flood that struck the Hamilton area through his flooded front
yard last Wednesday morning, as his daughter paddled around the street in a
boat and the family dogs chased her playfully. “I love it up here," the
man added, noting he was planning to buy the home in which they were renting.
“We're hoping to buy it still,” he said. “We're gonna remodel.” … Skagit County Commissioner Ted
Anderson, who spent most of his waking hours last week evaluating flood
damage in person, said Monday the needs of people in those affected areas
were great. “It's a lot of
tragedy,” he said. “People need to be aware in our county that
there's a lot of hurting going on.
The needs are great. In my estimation, we're probably going to have
over $3 million in damage upriver, that's what I think.” Dumpsters hauled upriver for affected
residents to dump their debris into easily have been filled. Anderson said a total
of 28 30-yard dumpsters were filled over the weekend alone. “It's going to be a monumental amount
of tonnage,” he said. “Anderson said assistance in the form of
federal dollars would be Grucial to the damage sustained
in this year's disaster. “We
absolutely need federal aid - there is no way else to help these people,”
he said. |
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Photo spread of 2003 Flooding in Hamilton & throughout
upriver |
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Assessed Public
Flood Damages Exceed $11 Million in Skagit County The
Private Damage Assessment that was presented to the Washington State
Emergency Management Division has been revised from $1,298,660 to $1,943,610.
“These are just the assessments that have been reported to date,"
said DEM Director Tom Sheahan. "We project the
actual damage figure to be much larger." Damages reported to DEM by the
American Red Cross officials as off October 29, 2003 were as follows: ·
20 single family residences destroyed (verified by
American Red Cross). ·
14 mobile homes destroyed (verified by American Red
Cross). ·
88 single family residences with major damage (verified
by American Red Cross). ·
27 mobile homes with major damage (verified by American
Red Cross). ·
87 single family residences with minor damage (verified
by American Red Cross). ·
54 mobile homes with minor damage (verified by American
Red Cross). ·
2 apartment buildings destroyed (verified by American
Red Cross). ·
1 apartment building with minor damage (verified by
American Red Cross) |
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Post-flood cleanup can be hazardous to health Taking precautions against flood-borne
disease caused by decaying carcasses and other filth is critical as local
residents dig out from under the layer of mud and silt left behind by last month's
flood, said Skagit County Health Department Director Peter Browning. Murky brown water wasn't the only
thing that washed through homes and property during the flood. The river also
carried with it the contents of flooded sewage and septic systems, dead fish
and farm animals, manure from flooded pasture, rotting food, spilled fuel and
assorted garbage -- anything and everything else imaginable. Much of that mud
has begun to dry out. As a truck wheeled through the town's silt-covered
streets Saturday morning, it kicked up a cruddy cloud of dust in its wake –dust
that Browning said can be dangerous to your health. … Alongside the streets of Hamilton,
residents and volunteers filled huge garbage containers with beds and box
springs, furniture, carpeting, insulation -- all the things that can never be safe to use again because of
contamination. On a street corner in the center of town ruined washers,
dryers, refrigerators and freezers waited forlornly to be picked up by trash crews. |
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River wants to engulf town After the flood of
Oct. 20, 2003, the town of Hamilton is a complete disaster area. Driving
through the town after the devastation makes one wonder why anyone would want
to live in the path of a raging river. I for one would like to see the river
have the town, and save those people and the government the pain and cost of restoring
it once again. Move Hamilton to higher ground and the pain and costs will go
away. Every time the
river gets above flood stage the town of Hamilton evacuates, not only 14 feet
above flood, even a few feet above. This time was a record and the whole town
was affected. The mayor, Mr. Bates, has stated in the past that they will
stay regardless of the consequences. Just raise the homes a little higher.
Well, Mr. Mayor, you are going to have to raise them even higher next time.
The river will continue to inundate the town of Hamilton from now on. There
is no doubt about it. The Skagit River wants the town of Hamilton. Betty Hoffman Birdsview |
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hamilton is back to normal Before the record-setting
flood of nearly two weeks ago; there was a line painted. around
the interior walls of Willie's around the 5·foot mark, representing
the high water of 1995. Today,
there is a new line – 19 inches higher. |
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Going, Going Garbage! Volunteers 'were
hard at work in Hamilton last week after the flood helping load debris and
damaged carpet, wood and furniture into large trash containers. A man standing nearby said, “They
don't need to worry, about that garbage. We'll have another flood soon and
send it all down to Mount Vernon.” |
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Family on road to recovery At about 4 p.m. that day, Megan said, a
volunteer firefighter drove up to the house, telling them they had to get out
immediately. So Megan and her
children left with little more than what they were wearing. And this time, the river came and made
itself an unwanted guest in their home, saturating their rugs, clothing and
valuables with a gray, viscous mud.
… And in spite of
all that has happened, the family has every
intention of staying in Hamilton.
“We have family here and we grew up here,” Patrick said. “I know the flood was bad, but we
love the community. It's nice and it's quiet up here. It's just a really nice
town.” |
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Bill could raise flood premiums Targets those with repetitive loss claims Hamilton Mayor Tim Bates said he's pleased
to hear that some federal dollars might be forthcoming to possibly move many
homes in flood-prone Hamilton and in other locales to higher ground. "We need to get together with the
towns and the county and state and federal government to find pieces of
property that we can buy to relocate folks," Bates said. "I talked with
the governor (Gary Locke) when , he came here. He's
tired of it and I'm tired of it."
Bates estimates that about 30 percent of Hamilton residents are repeat
offenders who get money from the government to bail them out when the floods hit. The only thing that might push people
to relocate is not being able to get any more money to bail them out, Bates said. Skagit County Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt said he and Commissioners Ted Anderson and Don Munks plan to make finding ways to relocate people in
flood-prone areas, including Hamilton, a priority starting early next year. Some people who raised their homes
according to the federal government's standards were still flooded, Dahlstedt said.
What's needed is to reduce the risk completely by moving them to
higher ground, he said. "This
has to be a no-nonsense process," Dahlstedt
said. "If people are going
to be obstinate, and not want to move, the public can't keep picking up the tab
for them." |
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new disaster plan means a flood of federal money
for washington Locke endorsed moving Hamilton out of the
floodplain, saying it would be "far better to move homes out of the area
now." "It doesn't make
sense to have the homes and the businesses in the same exact spot and every
four or five years be flooded out," he said. "It makes sense to
move a town out of the way, out of the obvious floodplain, so that we can
avoid these heartaches," he added.
Almost every home in Hamilton's town limits was hit by the October
2003 flood. |
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Flood insurance, disaster aid help little river
town survive It could be said that this tiny hamlet on
the low-lying north bank of the Skagit River owes its continued existence largely
to federal disaster aid and flood insurance. Many of the more than 300 residents of
Hamilton have come into contact with a branch of the Federal Emergency
Management Administration (FEMA) with the unassuming title of
"Mitigation Division." That's the office that oversees both the
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA's disaster aid efforts. It was the
insurance program that saved some Hamilton residents from serious loss from
the October 2003 flood, eventually paying out nearly $1 million in claims. It kept Rick Roetcisoender's
finances intact after two of his five Hamilton properties badly damaged during
the2003 flood that inundated the town: But his policy covered his losses and
even put some extra cash in his pockets. Some homeowners and renters without
insurance could avail themselves of FEMA aid programs. However, homeowners who got emergency
finance aid can't expect to receive it again unless they buy into the flood
insurance program. "Disaster money just doesn't come
close to covering damages for most people," said Mark Carey, a supervisor
for the National Flood Insurance Program. "That's why it's so important
that people get flood insurance." … At an average yearly premium of $564 for
Hamilton policies, it can be a bargain for homeowners like Roetcisoender. His properties were among 44 in the town
covered by the national insurance program, which paid about $1 million in
claims by Hamilton property owners in the wake of the 2003 flood. Roetcisoender considers himself lucky - he survived the 2003 flood with his home,
four rental properties and his finances intact. In fact, he may have come out
ahead by doing much of the repair work on the two damaged homes himself. After the flood, insurance adjusters sent Roetcisoender a check for $20.000 to make repairs on one
home. Instead of hiring a
contractor, he said he made many of the repairs himself saving about $15,000. He said his largest house cost him $7.000
to fix and the claims adjuster sent him a check for $35.000. "I hired a couple of local guys,"
said Roetcisoender. who
has since sold all of his Hamilton properties and moved to Clark County. FEMA
doesn't check repairs This is perfectly legal and allowed under terms
of the insurance policy. The only
requirement is that all the work specified by the adjuster is completed. However.
there is no follow-up to see that the repairs are
made. "We expect the home to be repaired."
said Ryan Ike. flood plain management specialist
with FEMA. "The program does not go through and do any policing
action." That's because the national insurance program
is only obligated to make the payout. not track
repairs. said Mike Howard. a
FEMA spokesman. … Although talk of misuse of FEMA aid has
circulated in Hamilton for months. no clear evidence
of fraud has been reported. But Mayor Tim Bates, who has lived in the town
for decades, believes that some has occurred. Some people take the disaster money Bates meant
to replace damaged floors, carpets and walls and decide to do nothing to fix
up their homes, he said. without naming names. "Some of these folks. they have a lot of money and haven't done diddly-squat to their place." Bates said, while selling
groceries at his business. The Hamilton Market. "They just washed the
mud out and it looks the same as it did before." … FEMA. state and
local emergency management officials use flood insurance as a way of
prioritizing the properties that need additional help to prevent repetitive
flood losses. If insured homes are hit by flooding again
within 10 years, they are placed on a list of properties that have suffered repetitive
losses. Once on the list, the property becomes
eligible for federal grants used for mitigation with can include anything
from raising or moving a building. or a complete
buyout. Homes that are purchased through the·
buy-out program are tom down and the property can't be built on again. The
goal of the federal mitigation grants is to reduce the number of insurance
claims in the wake of flooding. |
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water-logged hamilton seeks higher ground Dave Felix knows the future of Hamilton is
somewhere else on higher ground. … When 3 feet of flood water rushed
through his three-bedroom log house in October, forcing him to evacuate his belongings
and move in with his brother, he began to doubt whether he could put up with another
high water event. "This is no way to live," he said, standing in
front of the green, spacious lawn that was a little more than a year ago
submerged under brown brine and muck. But leaving could be as tough as
staying. Like anything, it costs money that Hamilton's large population of low-income residents don't have. That's the challenge
facing the town as it seeks a way to higher ground, said Lauren Freitas. a consultant hired by
Hamilton to help create a relocation plan. … "If Hamilton
continues on this path of getting flooded every few years. they'll
eventually go bankrupt," Freitas said. "This is a great opportunity to turn
things around and continue with a viable town." … U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., toured
the mud-caked streets of the town just days after the 2003 flood. … "Everybody was displaced,"
Larsen recalled from his home in Washington, D.C. "There wasn't one
basic service that could be provided. We saw the health hazard in the streets
of Hamilton because of the flood waters." Meantime, relief and emergency
agencies, including the National Guard, the American Red Cross and Skagit
County Emergency Management, were stretched to the limits, Larsen said. With so many eyes on Hamilton, the
question arose: "Why are people still allowed
to live in Hamilton's floodway and why hasn't more been done to move
them?" … Meantime, FEMA has been buying
property in Hamilton's flood plain in a piece-meal attempt to alleviate
repetitive losses. The federal government hasn't offered any permanent solutions
for the town's flood problem, Hayden said. That, federal officials say, is an
effort that has to come from local and state governments. "Everyone,
including FEMA is supportive," said Marty Best, hazard mitigation
programs manager for the state Department of Emergency Management. "But
once again, it's a budgetary matter. FEMA doesn't have the programs and money
to offer much help." |
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Town may head for drier ground The former mining and timber town and the
radical solution under consideration illustrate the problems posed by
communities nationwide that flood again and again. And it underscores how the
national flood-insurance program allows homeowners to stay in harm's way by
repeatedly paying them to repair flood damage. In Hamilton, "they have poured
millions of dollars into that town for flood after flood after flood,"
said Margaret Fleek, planning director for the
nearby city of Burlington and volunteer town planner for Hamilton. Moving an entire town is complicated
and costly. Even so, officials say, this is the best opportunity so far at
giving a new start to Hamilton, more than a century after it was founded. "I think it stands a better
chance now because we've got more people interested in it," said Mayor
Tim Bates. "If we don't, this town is going to die." … Creating a new town of Hamilton could
help break the cycle of flooding and rebuilding that keeps playing out in
Skagit County, said County Commissioner Ted Anderson, who sits on the
development authority's board. Floods
in Hamilton have cost government agencies at least $10 million, say FEMA
officials, who caution that is a very conservative estimate. The entire town
is worth around $15 million, according to the Skagit County assessor. "As opposed to the federal
government spending money repairing these houses over and over and over, we're going to go after some federal money so that we
would have affordable housing," Anderson said. |
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Hamilton’s future discussed HAMILTON - When U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen last
toured First Baptist Church. a year-and-a-half ago,
throngs of people huddled inside looking for a place to stay while waiting
anxiously for the raging floodwaters to subside. For Larsen, the damage,
health hazard and hopelessness left in the wake of the high water drove home
the need for a permanent solution to Hamilton's ongoing flood woes. That
solution will likely mean moving the town and its residents north of Highway
20 onto higher ground, Larsen said. "My goal is to get the ball rolling
so quickly that nothing can stop it," Larsen said. "I've told my people
that this is a priority for upriver." … Larsen visited the First Baptist
Church on Tuesday afternoon to talk with Skagit County Public Works crews
about plans to move the town. …
At the church, Larsen met with Pastor Ron Edwards to discuss plans by
community organizations to provide permanent emergency relief and education
assistance to area residents. … "The flood uncovered the real
problem," Edwards told Larsen, while standing outside of the church
Tuesday. "There's a lot of extreme poverty here." … "This effort needs a lot of
flexibility," Larsen said. "It's going to take time and money –
maybe a couple more floods - before it finally happens." |
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