Cascadia is no stranger to fall rainstorms. But this year's record-setting onslaught is already causing economic damage across the region -- and it's barely mid-November.
There may have been too much water even for salmon. The floods likely washed fish away from spawning areas, potentially cutting the number of salmon that can be caught in the future.
Despite the intensely local coverage of the storms so far, their impact has been roughly even from southern Oregon to British Columbia. Roads have been washed out, trains halted and ferries cancelled. Farmers face months of costly cleanup from flooding in valleys from the Willamette to the Chilliwack. In Oregon, damage to roads leading to Mt. Hood threatens the tourist industry.
On the flip side, rebuilding should be helped by government disaster aid following declarations of states of emergency in 24 counties in Washington and at least nine more in Oregon. The storms have been dumping heavy snow across the Cascades, which may mean a robust start to ski season -- as soon as skiers can get to the mountains.