Recent flooding isolated Lummi Nation. Here's how the Tribe continued to provide services
In Lummi Nation, heavy rains and flooding shut down all roads in and out last week, turning the nearly 21 square mile reservation into an island. Using boats and a dump truck, the Tribe’s crisis management team coordinated evacuations and ensured Tribal services provided food, supplies and essential medical and dental care after the record Nov. 13-15 storm.
The flooding began Sunday, Nov. 14 when heavy rains flooded the Nooksack River and spilled over levees in nearby towns. In some areas of the reservation, water levels rose between four and six feet, leading the Lummi Indian Business Council to declare a severe weather emergency.
“It came down so hard and so fast and got everybody by surprise. No one was able to plan,” Lummi Nation Tribal Chairman William Jones Jr. said Thursday, Nov. 18, in an interview with McClatchy.
About 20 Lummi families living on the reservation and throughout the surrounding cities were evacuated, with more than 100 people at the Tribe’s two shelters.
Read more at: https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/state/washington/article255970362.html
(Tacoma News Tribune)
