WESTERN WASHINGTON — After a night of heavy rain, lingering flooding — both the urban and river version — are causing issues in western Washington.
Nearly two dozen rivers are under flood warnings, meaning flooding is imminent or already happening, and nearly a dozen rivers experienced major flooding.
The rivers that reached major flood stage Tuesday morning include the Carbon, Cowlitz, Grays, Naselle, Nisqually, Snoqualmie, Snohomish, Skagit, Skykomish, White, and the Puyallup. However, some rivers have since receded but may reach flood stage again when the rain returns.
Flood stages for area rivers can be found at this link.
The National Weather Service issued a Flood Watch for King County through Friday.
Standing water is causing drivers to hydroplane as they commute, even in downtown Seattle due to backed up storm drains.
Water rescues have occurred on our waterways, schools were delayed or even closed due to standing water, and mudslides have shut down some roads, including eastbound I-90 near North Bend for several hours on Tuesday morning. State Route 106 was also reported to be partially closed in Mason County due to a mudslide.
Roads are also closed by flooding, including Interstate 5 in the Lewis County city of Napavine. At first, just the on-and-off ramps were closed, but around 11:20 a.m., the Washington State Department of Transportation said the interstate was closed between exit 72 and Rush Road due to water flooding the highway.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office said several cars became stuck after drivers tried to cross flooded roads. On Ben Howard Road in Monroe, a car and a Jeep were seen stuck in the floodwaters. Find Snohomish County road closures here.
Pierce County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Karly Cappetto said several vehicles had to be towed from a flooded road in the South Prairie area near Ski Park and Pioneer Way after drivers braved the floodwaters.
All lanes of State Route 202 and 203 are closed between the Fall City roundabout and just south of Carnation due to water on the road. There is no estimate for reopening.
Authorities warn that if there’s water on the road, it’s usually much deeper than it looks, and drivers should never go around a barrier to walk or drive through flood waters.
Six inches of fast-moving water can knock over an adult, while a foot of water can carry away most cars. Two feet of rushing water can sweep away SUVs and trucks, according to Central Pierce Fire & Rescue.
Flooding also closed a road in Monroe, where at least two vehicles became stuck in high water.
Rain totals in the last 24 hours have topped 3 inches in some South Sound communities; many towns have received roughly 10% of their annual rainfall this week.
In the short-term, the heaviest rain has sagged south into Oregon, and there will be several hours of cloudy but drier weather around the metro area for Tuesday. Temperatures have cooled a bit, too–enough to bring heavy and sleety snow to the passes, including White Pass, where traction tires are required thanks to snow covering the roadway. Highs will hover near 50 degrees, which is at least bit cooler and closer to normal.
However, a second warm surge of rain picks up Tuesday evening. The next “Pineapple Express” style atmospheric river will take over around sunset, and the precipitation will pick up the pace again after dark. Temperatures will rise rather than fall, as will the snow level, with readings moving into the middle to upper 50s by early Wednesday. This will yank the snow level up to 7,000 feet, and heavy rain rather than heavy snow will fall up to that level in the Olympics and Cascades.
The combination of steady lowland rain, heavy mountain rain, and melting snow will once again force our rivers to rise, with more major flooding expected along waterways like the Snoqualmie, Skagit, and Puyallup Rivers. For most of us, commuting through the low visibility, the moderate rain and the standing water will be the biggest impact on Wednesday. Showers will linger on Thursday, with highs in the lower 50s.
Skies settle back to mainly cloudy and quieter Friday and Saturday, with only a few showers in the mix by the end of the week.
