Snoqualmie, Tolt, Skokomish rivers already flooding, others rising; mudslide hits Burien home



SEATTLE -- Already-swollen rivers in Western Washington were raging Tuesday, with some already flooding and other rising to flood stages. In addition, heavy rainfall has led to an increased threat of landslides.

The National Weather Service in Seattle said rainfall amounts of 4 to 7 inches on the coast -- and 2 to 5 inches in the lowlands -- during the past three days has increased soil moisture levels across Western Washington.

A few landslides have already been reported.  The King County Sheriff's Office said late Tuesday night that a mudslide hit a home in the north part of Burien, but everyone got out without injury.

A landslide on the railroad tracks in Edmonds on Monday forced the cancellation of Sound Transit and Amtrak service between Everett and Seattle. And a mudslide west of Stevens Pass reduced U.S. 2 down to one lane in both directions Tuesday afternoon (it was later cleared). There was also a mudslide in Woodinville, the NWS said.

For road closures in Snohomish County, click here: http://www.snoco.org/App4/SPW/pwapp/roads/emclosure/index.html

At least nine roads were already flooded Tuesday night in Snohomish County.



The King County Department of Transportation said Tuesday night that moderate flooding  was already occurring along the Snoqualmie River, with minor flooding occurring on the Tolt River.

Driven by heavy rain, the Tolt River has reached a Phase 3 flood alert level with moderate and widespread flooding possible, according to the King County Flood Warning Center.

The King County Flood Warning Center issued a Phase 2 flood alert for the Green River, with only minor flooding possible upstream of Auburn. It said the Snoqualmie River, which remains at a Phase 4 flood alert level, could cause serious, widespread flooding throughout the night.



The King County DOT said State Route 203 and the Woodinville-Duvall Road -- key routes providing access to the Duvall, Lake Margaret, Lake Marcel-Stillwater, Lake Joy communities and points east --  may need to be closed in the next 24 - 48 hours due to high river flows. These closures could affect the Carnation area as water flows move down river. Closure of these roads would mean virtually all key access routes would be closed for the Snoqualmie Valley, it added.

Depending on conditions, the county said, it is possible access could be lost for a day or more. Residents should plan for limited or no access in or out of these communities for  several days as it can take a couple of days or more for water to recede from roadways before they can be safely reopened.



The Centralia Police Department and the city of Centralia  declared a local emergency Tuesday due to the projected flooding. The Emergency Operations Center will be opened on a limited basis from 6 p.m. Tuesday, the city said.

A special advisory was issued for the area south of Summa St / Salzer Valley Rd and east of Kresky / National Ave. which may experience overnight flooding.

Sand bag stations for the Centralia area are operational at N/W corner of W. Maple and N. Pearl St. and the Centralia City Maintenance Shop – 2600 Reynolds Rd.

The Grays Harbor County Emergency Management said the Chehalis River was under a flood warning and was rising. It is projected to reach flood stage at about 4 a.m. Wednesday, crest at about 4 p.m. Thursday and then slowly recede. The Satsop River was above flood stage and was expected to crest at 4 a.m. Wednesday and then recede below flood stage late Wednesday.



Cowlitz County and each of the cities in southwestern Washington have declared an emergency. "We are in response phase at the moment. If you have flood damages, document everything, we will be requesting that information when we switch to recovery phase in order to obtain a federal disaster declaration," the statement said.