Let’s remember when Snohomish County’s six-day long flood began, on this day in 1975 (December 1)
Uhh, this is bad.
From HistoryLink and Phil Dougherty:
Beginning on December 1, 1975, one of the worst floods in Snohomish County’s history strikes. A combination of rain and melting snow in the mountains cause several Snohomish County rivers to flood, with the worst flooding along the Snohomish River. The Snohomish River reaches a record depth of 33.16 feet at Snohomish, and the Snohomish Valley bears the brunt of the six-day flood, with a 50,000-acre “lake” forming in the valley that stretches between Everett and Monroe. Damage runs into the millions of dollars; much of the loss is attributed to the failure of a dike and pumping plant at French Slough, just southeast of Snohomish. No human lives are lost, but livestock losses are severe, with an estimated 3,500 head of cattle and other livestock dead as a result of the flood.
…
But the most catastrophic damage that resulted from the flood — and what made this flood especially memorable when contrasted with the numerous floods that swept Snohomish County in the twentieth century — was the loss of livestock, particularly cattle. About 3,500 head of cattle and other livestock were lost throughout the county, with most of the losses resulting from the failure of the pumping station at French Slough. Five dairy farmers with farms near the station bore the brunt of the losses, losing nearly 1,500 head of cattle just between them. These cows didn’t all drown, at least not initially. Many died from exhaustion from standing in cold floodwaters for several days.
As the flood retreated late in the week, the problem arose of how to dispose of the dead animals. Early the next week, a disposal site was finally found — the Bryant landfill about three miles north of Arlington. The National Guard assigned two units the enormous task of disposing of the decomposing animal carcasses. “Operation Cow,” as it was called, proved to be a macabre spectacle, attracting sightseers from miles around to the landfill to watch the cattle being buried in enormous 50-by-100 foot trenches 12 feet deep.
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