WAITSBURG-As area residents start to monitor the river every morning on the way to work, Pastor Cameron Hedges has been busy preparing for his first flood season in Washington.

Hedges has been going through various FEMA training. He is learning how to prepare for and navigate a natural disaster, document volunteer efforts, and communicate with other response divisions.

The pastor of the Waitsburg Christian Church, Hedges, said that there was no hesitation to say "yes" when the City of Waitsburg asked if the building could be used as an emergency shelter, as it had during the 2020 flood....