FERNDALE CLEANS UP AFTER STORM, PREPARES FOR NEXT FRONT

Ask Richard Hooley if he ever expected this in his 13 years of living in Ferndale and he’d say:
 
“Nothing like this.”
 
He says that he checked the creek’s water levels before heading out to breakfast on Thursday.
 
"When we came home, it was running through here like a river,” Hooley said.
 
Hooley says it didn’t go into his house, but he is looking at a couple thousand dollars worth of damage.
 
“Every bit of that will have to be wheel barrowed out, scraped off with a shovel and I’ll have to reseed and replant everything," he said.
 
Hooley isn’t alone; City Manager Jay Parrish says about 20 other people reported property damage.
 
"Even though it's a small creek, it goes through the hills and town fast," Parrish said.
 
Parrish says the town should be getting prepared for the next wave of this storm.
 
"We’re still in emergency mode somewhat,” Parrish said. “Realizing that Saturday and Sunday are going to bring more rain."
 
Public Works Director Tim Miranda says volunteers helped fill 5,000 sandbags for Thursday’s storm, but will continue to get more ready.
 
"We have probably 200 ready, and about 40 yards worth of sand on standby," he said.
 
Miranda says that’s enough sand to fill around 7,000 bags, which will be needed for the areas that get the worst flooding, like Main Street, where Hooley lives.
 
"Main Street borders the Francis Creek and in three different areas it came over its banks," Miranda said.
 
Hooley is keeping a positive attitude and says he’s going to finish cleaning the patio part, but will leave the grass area until the storm has fully passed.
 
"Anyone who wants to come, I have extra shovels and wheel barrels," Hooley said.