The King County Flood Warning Center, which opened at 6 p.m. on Tuesday after heavy rainfall brought minor flooding to the Snoqualmie River, is now also monitoring minor flooding along the Tolt, Green and White rivers.
Steady, persistent rainfall overnight brought increased flows to rivers across King County, and minor flooding is expected to persist in low-lying areas throughout the day.
Here are conditions for each of the four rivers that have reached a Phase 2 flood alert level, as of 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday:
• The sum of the three forks of the Snoqualmie River was recorded at 14,560 cubic feet per second (CFS), slightly higher than the Phase 2 flood alert threshold of 12,000 CFS. At these flows, some minor flooding in low-lying areas along the Snoqualmie River could be expected, including roads that are located in those areas.
• The Tolt River near Carnation was flowing at 3,550 CFS, which is just above the Phase 2 flood alert threshold of 3,500 CFS. At these flows, some minor levee seepage could occur in areas upstream of Carnation.
• The Green River at Auburn was flowing at 7,050 CFS, which is just higher than the Phase 2 flood alert level of 7,000 CFS. At these flows, minor lowland flooding could be expected in the agricultural areas upstream of Auburn. Areas from Auburn downstream into Tukwila are protected high flows by a series of levees.
• The White River at Mud Mountain Dam was flowing at 5,220 CFS, just above the Phase 2 flood alert threshold of 5,000 CFS. At these flows, minor overbank flooding could occur upstream of the A Street Bridge in Auburn. Minor flooding could also occur in Pacific near Government Canal and Avenue. Extensive temporary flood protection barriers are in place to protect Pacific.
Flood Warning Center employees will monitor stream gauges and weather reports, and will provide updated information on river conditions as necessary. Real-time river level information is available online.
During river flooding events, King County serves as a clearinghouse for information on flood conditions, operating a recorded message center with continuous updates of river gauge readings and flood phases and other related information. Reach the Flood Warning Center at 206-296-8200 or 1-800-945-9263. Interpreter assistance in multiple languages is available.
King County offers everyone free access to KC Flood Alerts, an automated system that allows subscribers to receive customized alerts of potential flooding for any or all of King County’s seven major river systems.
Immediate notifications about pending high water are sent to email, smart phone text or voicemail, providing subscribers with the maximum amount of warning about potential high water.
Find the KC Flood Alerts link at kingcounty.gov/flood. This website is a valuable preparedness resource, with all of the latest information about river levels and road conditions, plus weather reports and other critical links.
Questions or assistance with flooding on smaller streams or urban drainage problems can be called in to 206-477-4811 during business hours, or 206-477-8100 after hours or on weekends.
Problems on County maintained roads can be reported by calling 206-477-8100 or 1-800-KC-ROADS.
