Crossposted from Clean Water Stories

When a powerful atmospheric river settled over King County this week, the Snoqualmie Valley experienced some of the most significant impacts. Floodwaters quickly covered rural roads around Carnation, cutting off access to neighborhoods, farms, and the Carnation Treatment Plant.

Inside the plant, Wastewater Operator Tyler Stiltner suddenly found himself on an island. Surrounded by rising water and unable to leave, he became the only person able to keep the facility running while the storm intensified. His experience offers a firsthand look at what it means to protect public health and the environment when access disappears and the region faces the kind of flooding that only an atmospheric river can deliver. Read more.