South Park and the “Seeds” We Carry: When the Water Rises, Home Still Lives in Us

By Dinh Thai Bao Tran

Displacement is not the loss of home. It is the reminder that we carry home within us, like seeds waiting for the right soil.”

When I read that quote, I immediately think about small things: the smell of clothes drying in the sun, a pot of soup that tastes familiar, neighbors saying hi, and that quiet feeling of “I belong here.” A lot of the time, home isn’t just four walls. It’s memories and everyday routines. So when climate change forces people to leave  even for a short time what gets shaken up isn’t only where you sleep. It’s your sense of safety and who you are.
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In Seattle, this isn’t far away at all. South Park (in the Duwamish Valley) is a low lying neighborhood that can be hit hard by high tides and heavy rain.

Another KUOW story said that 25 homes affected by floodwater could be contaminated, because this area already deals with environmental risks. Hearing that made me realize how fast climate displacement can happen one rainy night, one high tide, and the next morning you’re suddenly making big decisions: Do we stay or go? What do we save first? Where do we sleep tonight? How will the kids get to school?
But in those moments, the idea of “carrying home inside us” becomes very real. I imagine a family in South Park grabbing what they need: important documents, a few clothes, medicine, things for a small child…all packed into a couple of bags. You can’t carry much physical stuff, but you carry a lot inside you: how you stay close to each other, how you ask neighbors for help, how you try to keep normal routines so your child doesn’t panic. Those are the “seeds” of survival waiting for a dry, safe place where life can start again.

One practical way to help is to support solutions led by the community: join or support local groups, donate to flood recovery funds, and speak up so the city invests in flood protection. Research and community stories have also pointed out that flooding caused by “high tides + heavy rain + rising sea levels” can lead to displacement right here in Seattle.

Reference:

• KUOW. “South Park begins recovery after Duwamish flood” (12/29/2022).
• University of Washington DEOHS. “Stories of 2022 flooding in Seattle…” (12/05/2023).

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