Heavy rainfall and flooding last Wednesday caused significant disruption in the Snoqualmie Valley area, prompting the local school district to implement emergency measures for student transportation.
Following the intense storm, the Snoqualmie Valley School District organized an emergency early release for students. School bus drivers worked swiftly to ensure children were safely returned home as floodwaters rose rapidly in the area.
Natalie Alexander, a school bus driver for the Snoqualmie Valley School District, described the situation, saying, “Yeah it was it was very intense. Things were changing minute by minute and you know floodwaters were rising rapidly.”
During the chaos, the district relocated about 50 buses to higher ground at Cascade View Elementary over concerns of potential flooding at the district’s bus yard.
Alexander noted that when she returned to her truck, the water was up to her thigh.
Another bus driver’s vehicle was reported to have been completely submerged during the flooding, highlighting the severity of the weather conditions.
Concern for safety prompted immediate action from district officials and bus drivers alike.
In a gesture of community support, Melissa Lazorik, a mother of three students in the district, established a GoFundMe campaign to assist the affected bus drivers.
Lazorik stated, “I don’t personally know the bus drivers, but they’re part of our district, part of our community; I wanted to help them in a small way.”
She expressed gratitude for the drivers, saying, “Every day they’re getting our kids to school whether it’s raining, whether it’s dark, whether it’s flooding, they’re getting them home safe.”
The outpouring of community support has touched the bus drivers, with Alexander expressing her surprise at the generosity shown by the community.
She said, “Completely like it blew me out of left field; like I had no idea... it really warms my heart.”
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