Sumas mayor thankful for ‘overwhelming support’ following severe flooding

Volunteers dumped dozens of trailer-loads of flood debris into a large dumpster behind City Hall Tuesday, Feb. 4, as Sumas hosted a community cleanup.

“Overwhelming support” was how Sumas Mayor Kyle Christensen summed up the morning’s effort.

“We knew it was gonna be cold today, the community really came through well for us,” Christensen said. “We’ve spent a lot of time getting a lot of the streets done. We’ve been really happy.”

Sumas experienced serious flooding following heavy storms on Feb 1. Streets were covered with trash, debris and other materials that had been swept away by the water, which was deep enough to kayak through just two days ago.

About 60-70 people showed up between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. ready to fight cold, snowy conditions and begin the first large-scale cleanups of the town.

Many of the volunteers were from surrounding towns such as Ferndale and Lynden, while others were from Sumas.

Dianne Weed, a Sumas resident, had returned to her home for the first time since the flooding on Tuesday morning but was out helping clean up other peoples’ properties.

“When I came back, my son said ‘Mom, I don’t know where the front porch is,’ “ said Weed. “It ended up being a block-and-a-half away.”

With the help of several volunteers, Weed’s front porch was loaded onto one of several trailers provided by JTI Commercial Services and returned to her home.

Looking forward, Christensen is waiting for the water levels to drop more so they can begin to help residents whose homes are still in standing water. He is also planning a second cleanup and says to watch the City of Sumas Facebook page for ways you can help the community.