I am Shelley Pasco of Whistling Train Farm, and I grow vegetables and cutflowers in the fertile Green River Valley between Kent and Auburn, Washington. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, December 13, the Green River slowly began to inundate my home and livelihood, Whistling Train Farm. Mild winter flooding is common and has occurred in nearly all of the 25 years I have farmed here. But this valley has not flooded widely since the 1950's, just before Howard Hansen Dam was built in the highlands to control the floodwaters that previously plagued the entire valley nearly every year.

But this winter is different. A massive atmospheric river brought unprecedented rain to western Washington, and because the temperature was warm, it did not fall as snow in the mountains. Instead, all of that rain funneled into the reservoir behind the dam, more than could be contained. The Army Corps of Engineers released water as needed to reduce pressure behind the dam, which led to moderate flooding in the valley. As a result, on Thursday morning, the lowest parts of the farm began to fill with water. By the afternoon, the farm was about 50% flooded... all of the fields.

With the promise of another large rain event looming, the Army Corps announced that they would be releasing larger amounts of water from the dam, and the river would be kept high as a result. The river began to spill over its banks Friday morning, December 12. The water reached all but the highest parts of the farm. We moved all of the machinery, and it seemed to be receding. But by Friday night it was rising again. By 3:00 Saturday morning, we knew we had to leave. Soon the road was blocked by floodwater and we scrambled to help our neighbors move their livestock.

It happened very quickly, and it was terrifying. We had to evacuate.

The river is being kept high for at least another week, maybe two. Our floodwaters won't drain away until the river is lowered, and that could be weeks. There will be much trash cleanup to do. Machinery will need to be taken apart, dried, and cleaned. We will need dump trailers, dump fees… maybe an excavator. My house will need to be gutted, disinfected for mold, and rebuilt.

I am incredibly grateful for any help that you can give to my farm's recovery, so that I can get it ready to grow food again and feed the community of families and neighbors we have been feeding for decades.

This is an unprecedented, and completely unexpected event.

Thank you,

Shelley Pasco

Whistling Train Farm

Kent, Washington