Following this week’s storms and historic flooding—driven by an atmospheric river that delivered nearly 5 trillion gallons of rain—flash evacuations, thousands of road closures, and widespread power outages affected parts of western Washington. The National Weather Service (NWS) has kept flood warnings in place for some areas as more rain is expected through Sunday and into Monday.
What To Know
The NWS has issued new warnings from Sunday, December 14, to the following areas in Washington: Cedar River, Cowlitz River, and Yakima River.
Cedar River
According to the NWS, residents in King County—particularly along the Cedar River near Landsburg, Auburn, and Renton—should expect flooding to persist until late Sunday afternoon. At 12:45 a.m. PST Sunday, the river stage was 6.6 feet, above the flood stage of 5.7 feet. The maximum level in the past 24 hours was 7.3 feet. The river is forecast to fall below flood stage on Sunday afternoon and continue dropping to around 5 feet by late Tuesday. Areas most affected include Landsburg downstream through Maplewood, where flooding could impact SR-169.
Cowlitz River
On Sunday, the Cowlitz River below Mayfield Dam remains well above flood flow, which begins at 25,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), causing flooding from Mayfield Dam downstream through Toledo. At 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, the NWS reported the river at 29,100 cfs, and it is forecast to stay near 29,000 cfs until Tuesday evening.
Yakima River
Areas near the Yakima River at Kiona remain under flood warnings “until further notice.” At 2:30 a.m. PST Sunday, the river stage was 15.6 feet—well above the flood stage of 13 feet and bankfull stage of 11 feet. The maximum level in the past 24 hours was 16.3 feet. The river is forecast to fall below flood stage on Monday morning and drop to around 11.3 feet by late Tuesday evening.
Existing warnings issued from Saturday for the Skagit and Snohomish rivers remain in place. In Skagit, the NWS expects the river to fall below flood stage early Sunday morning, then rise again Monday—going above the 28-foot flood stage before noon—and crest near 33.5 feet early Tuesday morning. The Snohomish River is forecast to rise above flood stage late Monday evening, peaking at nearly 25.9 feet early Tuesday morning, then briefly fall below flood stage on Tuesday afternoon before rising again early Wednesday morning.
The NWS has issued the following warnings for those in affected areas: “Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
“Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding. Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks.
“Even 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock you off your feet and a depth of 2 feet will float your car. Never try to walk, swim, or drive through such swift water. If you come upon floodwaters, stop, turn around and go another way.”
Residents across the western parts of Washington are urged to monitor local forecasts for any updates, as conditions are likely to change rapidly, especially if more rain falls.
