For the Reporter
The King County Flood Warning Center has issued a Phase II flood alert for the Green River, with the potential for minor flooding in low-lying areas upstream of Auburn.
As of 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, controlled releases from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Howard Hanson Dam brought flows along the Green River to 7,030 cubic feet per second (CFS), which is slightly higher than the Phase II flood alert threshold of 7,000 CFS for the river.
At these flows, rural areas upstream of Auburn could see some minor flooding. Flooding is not expected in urban areas of the Green River Valley.
Meanwhile, flood flows continue to abate along the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers, which saw moderate Phase III and minor Phase II flood flows, respectively, on Friday. The Flood Warning Center has been open since 6:30 a.m. Friday to monitor river flooding, which was brought on by heavy and widespread rainfall.
As of 10:15 a.m. Saturday, the sum of the Snoqualmie River’s three forks recorded a flow of 17,980 CFS, and the crest of earlier floodwaters was slowly moving downstream toward Carnation and Duvall.
The Tolt River at Carnation was flowing at 3,110 CFS as of 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, well below the peak Phase II flood alert flows recorded there during the afternoon of Nov. 13.
Flood Warning Center employees will monitor stream gages and weather reports, and will provide updated information on river conditions as necessary. Real-time river level information is available online at kingcounty.gov/flood.
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 gage 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.
Questions or assistance with flooding on smaller streams or urban drainage problems can be called in to 206-296-1900 during business hours, or 206-296-8100 after hours or on weekends.
Problems on County maintained roads can be reported by calling 206-296-8100 or 1-800-KC-ROADS.
