On December 3, 2007 the rains started over the snow covered Willapa Hills near the communities of Boistfort and PeEll. The combination of rain and melting snow caused the worst flooding disaster that anyone in Western Lewis County could remember. Landslides in the Upper Chehalis River Basin along with the massive amounts of water combined to devastate rural farming communities and the cities of Centralia and Chehalis. The Washington State Conservation Commission saw the needs of the farmers that had their livelihoods jeopardized and asked the legislature for financial assistance. The Lewis County Conservation District staff visited the farms and assessed the needs of the farmers. Cost share was provided to clear fields, fix fences, and reseed fields for eligible farms.