On behalf of the citizens of the city of North Bend, I wanted to take a moment to thank the volunteers and city staff members who gave of their time to assist in battling flood waters during the record storm event this week.

Without prompting, over 75 people came to the city shops and dikes throughout town to fill and stack sandbags in an effort to minimize the damages from the overflowing rivers and streams. While many residents did suffer devastating losses, the efforts of the volunteers and public works staff avoided countless thousands of dollars in damages.

Officers from the King County Sheriff’s Office North Bend Substation and Eastside Fire and Rescue professionals were invaluable, as well. When the transitional center needed to be evacuated, the seriously disabled residents were moved quickly and safely to area hospitals for continuing care.

It is unfortunate that we must sometimes experience an emergency of this nature to gain insight into the quality of people who make up this community. After the events this week, I can tell you that I am proud to be a resident of the Snoqualmie Valley and especially proud to be mayor of the city of North Bend, home to dedicated and selfless citizens and hardworking municipal employees.

From all of us, thanks to those who made a difference.

Mayor Ken Hearing

North Bend