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Heavy Rain Causes Widespread Flooding In Western Washington

Posted: 7:12 am PST November 12, 2008Updated: 3:54 pm PST November 12, 2008

Rivers swelled by drenching rains have gone over their banks, swamping roads and forcing evacuations.

Here are the latest developments across Western Washington:

  • Both directions of the SR 169 Green River bridge are closed because of a landslide, the WSDOT says. WSP is directing traffic to detour.

  • Reporter Graham Johnson says officials in the city of Snoqualmie are expecting the Snoqualmie River to crest at 4 p.m. at 46,000 cfs. The community is coming together, he says, putting up sandbags to keep floodwaters from buildings. Earlier, the city of Snoqualmie declared a state of emergency. VIDEO: Residents Move Quickly As Snoqualmie Rises

  • King County officials say 16 roads are closed in eastern King County because of flooding on the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers. See the full list here.

  • Pierce County is calling for emergency evacuations for areas of Sumner along the Puyallup River. Sheri Badger with the Pierce County Office of Emergency Management says the evacuations are precautionary based on projected river levels.

  • School districts have announced closures or changes because of the flooding. Get the full list here.

  • Pierce County has declared an emergency due to projected flood warnings for the Puyallup, Nisqually and Carbon rivers.

  • The Skagit County town of Hamilton is evacuating voluntarily.

  • Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon has declared a state of emergency to respond to flooding in the county.

  • About 130 animals have arrived at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, including 10 cows, four zebras and more than 100 horses. The fairgrounds has opened its barns to take in livestock and large animals needing shelter.

  • People are filing sandbags and placing them along the Skykomish River in Sultan, trying to protect buildings on Main Street from floodwaters. The flooding Skykomish has closed roads in nearby Gold Bar.

  • The Red Cross has opened two shelters for flood victims in Snohomish County.

  • Sultan firefighters in a boat rescued a family of four and two dogs this morning from a mobile home near Startup.

  • Rising floodwaters along the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers have triggered evacuation warnings in eastern Snohomish County. The Department of Emergency Management is urging residents along Tualco Loop Road, Tester Road and 164th/Ben Howard Road to prepare for evacuation. Waters in that area are expected to rise above flood stage and begin covering roadways near noon.

  • The Orting School District is releasing all schools early due to rising rivers: Orting High and Orting Middle 1:15 p.m. and 1:20 p.m. Orting Elementary and Ptarmigan at 2:15 p.m. and 2:20 p.m.

  • Officials have urged about 200 people to evacuate from along the rising Carbon River in Orting.

  • Flood shelters are open in Pierce County.

  • Sultan School District released all students at 11:30 a.m.

  • Chopper 7 sends back this video of water and debris crashing down Snoqualmie Falls.

  • From the National Weather Service: One to 3 inches of rain has fallen in the lowlands and 3 to 7 inches of rain has fallen in the Cascades. One to 3 inches of additional rain may fall through this afternoon before tapering off this evening. Most rivers are still rising.

  • A small dam at Mill Creek Park in Cosmopolis has failed, flooding several streets and some homes. VIDEO: Homes, Streets Flooded When Dam Breaks

  • Mount Rainier National Park is closed. Heavy rain caused Kautz Creek to flow over Nisqually Road to a depth of more than 6 inches. The park is anticipating continued heavy rain today with a snow level of 9000 feet.

  • On the Eastside, the Tolt River is at phase IV flood alert, the King County Flood Warning Center's highest level. The fast-rising Snoqualmie River has risen to a phase IV flood alert level, authorities said.

  • Toby Rickman of Tacoma Public Utilities tells KIRO 7 Eyewitness News the flooding in Pierce County may be worse than 2006. Utility crews are watching the Carbon and Puyallup rivers.

  • In Snohomish County, the Public Works Department is delivering sand and sandbags to locations where citizens can pick them up for flood protection. There are drop-off points at fire stations and parks in Gold Bar, Sultan, Index, Oso, Snohomish and Stanwood.

  • The state Emergency Operations Center has been activated.

  • King County has road closure information and tips on its Flooding Web page.

    The flooding is widespread in the region, with every major Western Washington river under a flood warning.

    Flood warnings include the Skagit River, reaching some residential areas around Mount Vernon and the Snohomish River, overtopping levees near Snohomish.

    Other rivers with warnings include the Chehalis, Satsop, Nooksack, Stillaguamish, Skykomish, Tolt, Snoqualmie, Cedar, Carbon, Puyallup and Deschutes.

    A small landslide on the Aberdeen bluffs overlooking Highway 12 has caused water to run over the main road into Aberdeen. KXRO reports road crews are working to clear the slide.

    A tanker truck filled with buttermilk rolled over and blocked two lanes of southbound Interstate 5 in Olympia for several hours early Friday morning.

    In Seattle, a one-car crash blocked southbound lanes of Aurora Avenue from about 2:30 a.m. to 7:20 a.m.

    5-Day Forecast

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    Detailed Forecast

    Rick VanCise
    Watch KIRO 7 Meteorologist Rick VanCise weekends on KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.
    Meteorologist Profile

    Weather:
    Showers continue overnight into Sunday morning as the thunder threat eases. Expect mostly cloudy skies and a few showers possible during the day Sunday, with overnight lows into the 30's and 40s. Sunday's highs hit the lower 50s with winds picking up again by Sunday night as a cold front approaches. Southerlies will blow 15 to 25 mph.

    Snow showers in the mountains Sunday morning will ease during the day, but not before another 6 to 12 inches fall.

    Monday's cold front brings more rain, followed by showers through mid week.

    3 - Day Forecast
    Sun
    Showers
    51
    Mon
    Rain
    52
    Tue
    Showers
    50
    Seattle Metropolitan Area
    Weather:
    Showers continue overnight into Sunday morning as the thunder threat eases. Expect mostly cloudy skies and a few showers possible during the day Sunday, with overnight lows into the 30's and 40s. Sunday's highs hit the lower 50s with winds picking up again by Sunday night as a cold front approaches. Southerlies will blow 15 to 25 mph.

    Snow showers in the mountains Sunday morning will ease during the day, but not before another 6 to 12 inches fall.

    Monday's cold front brings more rain, followed by showers through mid week.