Once the waters began to recede in the Snohomish Valley north of Seattle, local farmers started to clean their fields, repair fences and rebuild barns, said Judy Chapman, assistant public communications director of the Marysville Washington Stake.

They had saved most of their animals from drowning, but hundreds of tons of hay had been destroyed by the high flood waters, and there was nothing to feed them.Word soon spread across the state to members in eastern Washington, and they began collecting hay from their own barns and lofts to ship across the mountains to those in need.

Non-members in eastern Washington heard of the relief effort and began bringing hay from their barns as well. One neighbor, wanting to help but with no hay to give, actually purchased a load and loaded it onto the truck bound for western Washington. Truck drivers, members and non-members alike, donated their time and fuel to drive the truckloads across the state.

Kurtis Prentice, a deacon from the Moses Lake 2nd Ward, Moses Lake Washington Stake, helped deliver the hay that had been donated by farmers.

Working beside his father, Kurtis spent about three hours loading hay onto the trucks. The next four hours were spent on the road, driving toward a group of farmers Kurtis knew would be glad to see them and the precious cargo they carried.

Once they arrived in Monroe, about 25 miles north of Seattle, Kurtis climbed onto the trailer full of hay and began unloading it. Before long, people began to notice the hard work and endurance of this young man.

After putting in more than a day's work, Kurtis and his dad climbed back in the truck for the four-hour drive home in a pounding rain. Many thanks from the farmers went out to Kurtis and his dad, who was very proud of his son.

During the flood, Bertie Elzinga, owner of horse stables on Eby Island, watched as her newly refurbished barn filled with water and other outbuildings tilted off their foundations.

Luckily, she was able to save her horses, but soon found that hay was scarce and prices were high. A neighbor, Henry Smith of the Lake Stevens 2nd Ward, Marysville Washington Stake, told her donated hay was being shipped in.

As she loaded her truck with the top grade hay, she asked who had donated it and wanted to thank them. When she heard that ordinary farmers had donated the hay, she remarked, "But this was their best."

"The hay really pulled me through. I was on my last leg," she added.

---

For the Bob and LeVon Berg family of the Clearview Ward in the Marysville stake, a small flood two weeks earlier just north of them helped prepare them for the big flood that was one of the worst in Washington history. They had replaced their water storage, bought new batteries for flashlights and refilled prescriptions to make sure they were prepared.

The day the major flood hit, they were in the process of decorating for Christmas. A turkey was in the oven, and they were in the middle of decorating the Christmas tree when they were told they had to evacuate.

They took a few personal items, including the half-baked turkey, and went to the bishop's home. The next day they returned to the area to see the damage and saw only a few inches of water over the road. They decided to return home, but after a few minutes in the house, Sister Berg had a feeling of urgency to leave.

Two days later they were prompted to visit again their house in the valley. As they looked at their home from a hill, the Bergs couldn't believe the sight. Overnight, a 15-mile wide farmland valley had become a lake five to 10 feet deep. In the middle of the lake was their home, built on a higher elevation.

Their neighbor, who lives on the hill, said he saw them return home and then leave again. He told them right after they left, the dike on the Snohomish River, about 200 yards north of their home, broke sending a wall of water over the road and through the valley.

"I stood in silence, imagining what could have happened," Sister Berg related. "What gratitude to the Lord filled my heart."

Five days after the evacuation, the Bergs were able to return home and were blessed to have not sustained any damage. Unfortunately that was not the same for their neighbors along the road. Homes were flooded, livestock and pets drowned, hay and crops lost, roads torn up and acres of top soil carried away.

"We have re-evaluated our emergency priorities and procedures," Sister Berg said. "Perhaps most importantly, we had the opportunity of experiencing the whisperings of the Holy Ghost that may have been the difference between life and death."

---

Forty full-time missionaries from the Washington Seattle Mission helped residents in the Snohomish Valley mop up after the flood. One home had been washed off its foundation, and the missionaries helped dig around it so the house could be lifted back on the foundation.

Next, they helped a couple who were trying to move their possessions out of their home, but had become discouraged. They had been helicoptered out when the flood waters hit and their house had been submerged to the second floor. The couple was overwhelmed with the magnitude of the task of moving out all their furniture. After consenting to let the missionaries help, they couldn't believe that the job was finished in 15 minutes.

---

Priesthood planning and leadership, auxiliary support, a generous spirit and willing service turned what could have been a bitter disaster into a manageable situation in the Snoqualmie Valley Ward, reported Howard J. McOmber Sr., public communications director of the Renton Washington North Stake.

On Nov. 24, Bishop David Perry had decided to go bow hunting with his ward clerk, Ted Brown. Rain was falling as they drove into the Cascade Mountains, above the Snoqualmie Valley on the outskirts of Seattle, but that wasn't unusual for this time of year.

As they started hunting, Bishop Perry became uneasy and told his clerk they needed to return home because something was wrong.

As they drove home, the bishop and Brother Brown understood why. They saw the waters of the Snoqualmie River overflowing its banks, causing the worst flood in the history of the Snoqualmie Valley. The bishop's wife, Joanne, had been praying that her husband would come home.

Bishop Perry called his high priests group leader, Larry Thompson, to get the ward's emergency plan into motion.

The Snoqualmie Valley Ward had been preparing for a disaster they hoped would never come. At the ward meetinghouse were maps of the ward area, showing the location of the members and the natural terrain features that would isolate members in case of a natural disaster such as a flood or earthquake.

Ken Green, first counselor in the bishopric who lives 15 miles away from the meetinghouse, got his boat out and began making his way to the interstate highway. Traveling down rivers that used to be roads, he quickly made his way to the bishop's house.

Bishop Perry joined Brother Green in the boat and with the use of his cellular telephone, kept in touch with the command center, managed by the high priests group leader.

Until midnight, family after family were ferried to higher ground and safety. Eighteen member families and many non-member families took the "aluminum taxi" to dry ground.

Members of the nearby North Bend Ward provided shelter and assistance for the families coming out of the flood area. Priesthood leaders throughout the Renton Washington North Stake offered their assistance.

Later, a hundred stake brethren met to form rescue teams to pump out water from homes in the area. Members and non-members as well were helped in the aftermath.

The priesthood leaders organized groups to assess the damages, and provide firewood, food, and other necessities to flood victims. The Renton North Stake Relief Society provided hot food to flood victims and rescue workers throughout the disaster.

"We will have an ongoing program as long as our families are in need of help," Bishop Perry said.

Through it all, no members were seriously injured, Brother McOmber said. "While property losses are high, the benefits of the rescue effort are great. Many non-members were assisted and many were greatly impressed by the effective, highly prepared and well-executed emergency program."