Rainfall records written in pencil

First the snow fell, and then the rain came in torrents throughout Western Washington, inspiring record numbers. Equal amounts of superlatives and expletives were offered to describe the results.

Flooded basements, power outages, scattered school closures, clogged intersections and highways closed by mudslides attested to the intensity of storms that have become vaguely routine. Emergency-operation centers sprouted like mushrooms, as local and county governments worked hard to stay ahead of conditions and public opinion. They are still smarting from last year's bouts of heavy weather and the low marks they received for readiness and reaction time.

A venerable blues song would have us believe the sky was crying on Monday, with tears falling like rain. No need for metaphors when 24-hour totals approach the 5-inch mark, a record set at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport a scant four years ago.

The breadth of the impact was impressive. High winds and driving rains raked the Washington coast. Grays Harbor County Sheriff Mike Whelan told Associated Press the damage is the worst he has seen in 30 years in law enforcement. Rivers and streams around Puget Sound were gearing up to move through phases of floodwaters rising and cresting.

Urban flooding is a term of art that rolls off the lips more fluently these days. Lots of rain and lots of pavement combine to move water around, but do not allow it to be soaked up. The scouring sends distant pollution into a tangle of waterways and on to Puget Sound. Expect the region to hear more about this as the marine-cleanup efforts of Puget Sound Partnership evolve.

As the scientists debate El Niño/La Niña effects and the vagaries of Pacific Decadal Oscillation, the heavy rains arrive with much more regularity. Freak storms? Not anymore.