The homeowners who have watched the Skagit River eat away their property in Lyman are getting good news this week.
A property appraiser set the value of their homes at the pre-flood levels so they can get emergency funding to start over.
Right now, they're paying mortgages on property that doesn't exist. Four homes have lost hundreds of square feet of land, and three houses are condemned. Recently, one of those homes toppled into the river. It belongs to Sherry Taxdahl's son's family.
"We would have rather seen these places torn down than go into the river," Taxdahl said.
Taxdahl's son pays $1,175 every month on the house he and his wife and kids had to evacuate on Thanksgiving last year. They and two other families are homeless, sleeping on couches and guest beds thanks to friends and family.
"I think it could've been avoided. It's been six months now," Taxdahl said.
Last year, the homeowners and even the mayor of Lyman called legislators and Governor Jay Inslee, begging for help. They watched as the river ate away more and more land, while no one did anything. But even if it's late, they're hopeful about the news that they'll receive funding for the land they've lost.
"As long as everybody comes through with what they've promised," she said. "FEMA promised $890,000, the county has promised $150,000 and the state and military have promised $150,000. The county has explained to us that part of their $150,000 would be for clean-up in the river and to dispose of these homes."
The families bought the houses many years ago, some decades ago, when the government had a levee holding back the river's force. Recently, in an effort to restore salmon habitat, that levee was allowed to fall into disrepair. With it, the river returned in a mighty way, sending huge chunks of land along with structures into the water below.
"It was surreal," Taxdahl said. "It's a heartache that we will deal with for a long time."
