December 2021
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Whatcom County receives majority of grants, page 6
Flood damage overwhelms emergency response
Oceanview lagoon brimming, page 7
ECRWSS PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 14
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Interview with Margot Griffiths, page 8
Point Roberts, WA 98281 Postal Patron Local
A shot in the arm ...
By Grace McCarthy Devastating floods that hit Whatcom County earlier this week forced hundreds of evacuations for residents along the Nooksack River and have emergency responders scrambling to understand the extent of damage to homes and tattered roads. After heavy rainfall over the weekend, governor Jay Inslee declared a severe weather state of emergency on Monday, November 15 for 14 counties, including Whatcom and Skagit, which bore the brunt of the storm. While Blaine and Birch Bay saw record-setting amounts of rainfall that allowed people to kayak through downtown streets, low-lying areas near the Nooksack River such as Everson, Nooksack, Sumas and Ferndale were hit the worst, displacing over 300 in emergency shelters. Whatcom County emergency responders from the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) Division of Emergency Management, Whatcom County Public Works Department, Washington State Department of Transportation and city of Bellingham gathered in a quickly-assembled media briefing November 16. Emergency personnel were still responding to the historic event and couldn’t give much detail to the flood damage during the conference, emphasizing they needed more time to assess. But they said water levels were receding as the rain stopped Tuesday. “This event was larger than our recent historical high of 1990, and that is the standard we’ve used for most of our gauging,” public works director Jon Hutchings, referring to severe flooding in November 1990. “It will be interesting as we monitor and assess the high water marks to really understand how much water actually moved down the Nooksack River, came from lowland flooding and came from mountain sources. So we can improve our ability to predict these events in the future.” The governor visited the county’s emer(See Flooding, page 3)
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s Right this way! A steady flow of cars throughout the afternoon were shepherded by volunteers helping to process a massive homegrown vaccination effort. More photos, page 9. Photo by Louise Mugar
All hands on deck for massive vaccination and testing B y P a t G r u bb Fire district personnel, health clinic staff and a squad of volunteers successfully mounted the largest Covid-19 testing and vaccination campaign on Sunday, November 14 as the return of Canadian visitors to the Point created unprecedented demand for the service. There were 263 individuals tested during the morning session, far more than the previous high of 170, according to fire chief Christopher Carleton. Typically, there are 70-100 people tested per day. Two individuals tested positive, the first positive results since September. A family of two, they are now isolating at home. The district tests twice a week, Wednes-
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days and Sundays from 9 to 11 a.m. The afternoon was even busier as cars lined up for vaccinations. The district used four bays at a time for cars to pull into, get jabbed and leave. Although no final count is yet available, it appears that over 270 individuals received either a regular or booster vaccination. Regardless of nationality or place of regular residence, the vaccinations were free of charge. A kids clinic held on Friday, November 12 resulted in nine children being vaccinated against Covid-19. There will be another vaccination clinic held on Sunday, November 21 at 1 p.m. Those wishing to receive a shot must email chief@wcfd5.com in advance to be placed on the list.
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Inside
Church ............................................. 13 Classifieds ......................................... 12 Coming Up ....................................... 13 Library Picks..................................... 14 Opinion ............................................... 4 Sheriffs ............................................. 14 Tides ................................................. 11