The flooding of Everson, Washington

A blueberry field in Everson, Wash., on May 20.

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News).

A car remained stuck in the mud May 6, several months after the flooding in Everson.

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News).

Several feet of sediment from the 2021 flooding settled in the once-green backyard of Cheryl and Larry Brown’s home in Nooksack Valley, Wash.  (Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News).

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News).

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News).

Several feet of sediment from the 2021 flooding settled in the once-green backyard of Cheryl and Larry Brown’s home in Nooksack Valley, Wash.  (Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News).

“Our family has been here 95 years and gone through a lot of floods,” said Jim Glass, a retired Everson city worker.

Flooding has vexed Everson for more than a century, but climate change and years of inaction have raised the stakes, threatening to wash parts of the community away and leaving some residents wondering if they can live here in the long term. .

NBC News spoke with about two dozen residents of Everson and nearby communities, including many who questioned whether the town could withstand future floods and were demanding that the government take measures to reduce risk and impacts.

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News).

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News).

After the flooding, “we didn’t know what we were going to do – if it was safe to rebuild, if it was safe to come back home, if it was better to just walk away,” Cabrera said, standing in the backyard of his now-empty home, where hedges yellowed at the floodline and a bicycle remained, unused for months.

Everson Mayor John Perry stands in front of sandbags that lined the roadway for months after the 2021 flooding.

Mike Brevik, a local contractor, used his front-end loader to rescue dozens of residents from the floodwaters. (Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News).

Everson Mayor John Perry stands in front of sandbags that lined the roadway for months after the 2021 flooding.

Mike Brevik, a local contractor, used his front-end loader to rescue dozens of residents from the floodwaters. (Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News).

County officials the night before said in a news release that they expected flooding as significant as the region experienced in early February 2020 (known as “the Super Bowl flood”), when a few dozen Everson homes were damaged.

In 36 hours, the Everson police department responded to 64 calls for rescues, welfare checks or to deal with other flooding hazards, according to city records. .

“Climate change is not going to help us at all on this,” Mayor John Perry said.

“Climate change is not going to help us at all on this,” Mayor John Perry said.

People were up in arms,” Glass, the former city worker, said.

Meanwhile, flooding risks in Everson and many American communities have only increased.  While triggers vary locally, an atmosphere warmed by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels can absorb more moisture and deliver heavier rainfall.

“We saw the community pull together -- like nothing people have seen before -- as far as the amount of help that was offered and the things donated,” the town’s Mayor John Perry said.

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News).

“We saw the community pull together -- like nothing people have seen before -- as far as the amount of help that was offered and the things donated,” the town’s Mayor John Perry said.

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News).

They purchased a new home away from the floodplain in Everson and are hoping now that the city will come through with a FEMA-backed buyout. .

It said it would assist Everson Meadows residents in finding hew housing before the complex is shuttered Oct?

Julieta Garcia-Suarez’s home in Sumas, Wash., purchased in July 2021, was flooded with 6 feet of water a few months later.

She said she was left with three main options – demolish the home, seek a potential buyout or raise the home. .

Floodwaters from Swift Creek flowed into Cheryl and Larry Brown’s home in Nooksack, Wash., bringing sediment – including naturally-occurring asbestos – onto their property.

“The housing crisis — it just compounds any effects the flood had,” Perry said

After the waters receded, Perry began to shoulder the dual, and sometimes dueling, responsibilities of housing Everson residents and leading the town’s recovery while also seeking permanent solutions to redirect future floodwaters or move people from their path. 

Jennifer and Dexter Cunningham remodeled their home after flooding in 2020 that became known as the Super Bowl floods

Since, they’ve purchased a new home in Everson on higher ground. “Our whole life revolves around our community in Everson,” Jennifer Cunningham said

You can’t re-create that elsewhere.” (Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News)

Jennifer and Dexter Cunningham remodeled their home after flooding in 2020 that became known as the Super Bowl floods

Since, they’ve purchased a new home in Everson on higher ground. “Our whole life revolves around our community in Everson,” Jennifer Cunningham said

You can’t re-create that elsewhere.” (Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News)

In early May, residents in a low-income housing unit called Everson Meadows received notices they needed to vacate within a month

“Even after what’s occurred, we have to leave?” said Juan Gonzalez Lara, a 63-year-old Everson Meadows resident. 

A heart pillow from one of Juan Gonzalez Lara’s hospital visits at his home in Everson Meadows. He lost all his possessions and when returning to his apartment, began to experience heart problems he believes were caused by the stress of the flooding. Every time it rains, “I have to look out the window to see if the water will come or not,” he said in Spanish through an interpreter

“I’ve been traumatized." (Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News)

A heart pillow from one of Juan Gonzalez Lara’s hospital visits at his home in Everson Meadows. He lost all his possessions and when returning to his apartment, began to experience heart problems he believes were caused by the stress of the flooding. Every time it rains, “I have to look out the window to see if the water will come or not,” he said in Spanish through an interpreter

“I’ve been traumatized." (Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News)

The organization planned to help relocate Everson Meadows residents by October 31

After flooding, low-income housing is often among the last to return, if it does at all, said Roberts, the flood coalition director

“We don't have 24 available rental units in the area,” Perry said

Meantime, despite the desperate need of housing stock, Perry found himself asking residents to vacate their homes for good

Claudia Vizcarra, left, and other representatives of the Whatcom Long Term Recovery Group visit Everson Meadows residents on May 5

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News)

Claudia Vizcarra, left, and other representatives of the Whatcom Long Term Recovery Group visit Everson Meadows residents on May 5

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News)

“There are still many of us who aren’t in their homes,” said Tony Chunkapura, who left his four-bedroom home at about 3 a.m

Chunkapura can’t rebuild or raise his home because of the extent of damage and city code restrictions on rebuilding in a floodway

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News)

“There are still many of us who aren’t in their homes,” said Tony Chunkapura, who left his four-bedroom home at about 3 a.m

Chunkapura can’t rebuild or raise his home because of the extent of damage and city code restrictions on rebuilding in a floodway

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News)

The Nooksack River flows from Mount Baker, a volcano in western Washington. (Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News)

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News)

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News)

The Nooksack River flows from Mount Baker, a volcano in western Washington. (Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News)

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News)

(Jovelle Tamayo for NBC News)

“We felt confident to rebuild and come back home and just hope that we have some help from the government to be able to fix the river,” Cabrera said