50 years ago

Editor: Ace Comstock

High tides and winds plagued local beaches

“The highest tides of the year brought more worry than damage to South Whidbey beach homes last weekend. The worst damage occurred last Friday morning in Maxwelton when the tide broke through a make-shift sea wall in front of three beach homes. A three-foot deep over pour carried logs and debris into the back yard of a summer cabin owned by Robert Hanson of Bellevue. Cutting a channel as it went, the tide flooded adjacent lots before continuing across the road to a lot owned by Mrs. Gladys Stone. Her yard was still under water the next day, but the only damage was caused by several inches of seepage into a tool shed behind her house. The owner of one of the adjacent lots, I. R. Peck, said that the water swamped his patio and garden covering them with a thick layer of mud.”

“ ‘If the water had been only a few inches higher we would have been in trouble,’ said Peck. ‘Our lot is on higher ground than Hanson’s so the water was only a few inches deep in our yard, but it still came close to pouring in on our floors.’ ”

15 years ago

Editor: Jim Larsen

South Whidbey storm cleanup provides plenty of firewood

“It had been years since South Whidbey had seen anything like the windstorm that struck the island Thursday night and Friday morning.

“It’s also been a while since Southenders have had to put so much time into cleaning up after the winds died down. When the cost is finally tallied, the damage caused by the gale could total in the million dollar range.

“Between broken electric lines, damaged and destroyed homes and the cleanup costs racked up by the Island County road crews that had to clear debris off the roads, thousands of dollars were burned up every hour.”