By Ron Melton, Red Cross Volunteer

The Yakima River is normally a quiet, steady presence in our lives, not dramatic at all. But today, a stunning amount of water is flowing.

This week, I stepped out as a Red Cross volunteer to tour the main areas in the Tri-Cities experiencing historic flooding. What I saw was a landscape transformed. By late last week, the main road connecting Richland and West Richland was closed, with water surging over the roadway.

As my wife and I drove through the area, the urgency was palpable. In fields already submerged, horses stood in water-soaked fields. But even as the river rose, so did the community. We saw residents working together to load horses into trailers, relocating them to higher ground before the access roads were cut off completely.

The most dramatic flooding occurred at a bend in the river near Benton City. The water "cut the corner," taking the path of least resistance and flooding everything in its wake.

I visited the entrance to the Beach RV Park. While many residents were able to move their RVs before the crest, others simply didn't have the time or the means.

“We were able to stay in the trailer until the water came past the stairs. Then they shut off the sewer and they shut off the power and that’s when I knew we had to go,” said Debbie Swoboda. She and her son, Bob Snow, evacuated to the Red Cross shelter in Kennewick.

These are our neighbors, people whose lives were uprooted in a matter of hours. The Benton County Fire District was able to help Debbie evacuate since she’s in a wheelchair. “I’m just hoping that my trailer will be okay and that I’ll be able to get back in it.”

To support neighbors like Debbie, the Red Cross deploys a Disaster Disability Integration team which provides advocacy, outreach, and accommodation coordination for Red Cross clients with disabilities.

“You guys [Red Cross] have been excellent in helping me since I am disabled. I appreciate the help so much,” said Debbie. “I feel comfortable knowing that we are going to be okay and that my dog is taken care of.”

Community members and local businesses continue to donate to our Red Cross shelter. El Sabor de Mexico in Benton City provided chicken taco meals that went straight to those evacuated from their homes including Debbie and Bob.

Walking over the Benton City bridge, the sheer volume of water moving downriver is a sobering reminder of nature's power. For someone not from this area, the pictures might not look dramatic until you notice the flooded footpaths, normally six feet above the water, now completely submerged.

But in the middle of this devastation, there are signs of the spirit that defines the Red Cross. At the shelter, residents from the Beach RV Park are finding more than just a cot; they are finding a "family of support."

As I headed back to Richland, a massive rainbow stretched across the sky over Highway 224. It was bright, colorful, and felt like a clear sign of hope for all of us. The floods will pass, and the Red Cross (and this incredible community) will be here to help our neighbors begin the journey of recovery.