Throughout this December, Maple Valley has been going through a heavy downpour of rain, causing flooding in some areas. With rivers leaking over and onto roads, buses are being delayed due to road closures. People are losing power because of the flooding and strong winds, and evacuation orders have been sent out throughout the region.

When asked their thoughts about the flooding, THS sophomore Lucas Garcia replied, “Why are we even at school when there are evacuation notices being sent out?” Flooding can be a cause for concern for student drivers because of the danger they could face when driving to school and the damage their vehicles could receive.

Other students have mentioned that some Maple Valley residents have had trouble leaving their houses. A student named Sawyer Nelson, another sophomore, said that they had to “swim” through the 2 inch water just to get to their bus. This would explain why some of the buses are delayed, as the volume of water can slow down vehicles (especially larger vehicles like buses).

Students and staff have also mentioned that they have been losing power due to the flooding and powerful winds that have been occurring. Combined with the heavy rain, power outages can be dangerous for drivers trying to get to school, as lights may go out. Fortunately, that has not happened, as the harsh weather has mostly been occurring in the afternoon as of recently.

While it seems that the rain will continue for the rest of the month and the flooding may get worse, the rain has been calming down as of December 17th. With lighter rain but colder days, it may get worse. Make sure to drive carefully, dress warm and stay safe.