The King County Flood Warning Center, which has been open since midday on Tuesday, Dec. 8, has issued a Phase 2 flood alert for the Cedar River, with only minor flooding anticipated in limited areas.
As of 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 9, the Cedar River at Landsburg recorded a flow of 3,080 cubic feet per second (CFS), exceeding the Phase 2 flood alert threshold of 3,000 CFS.
Typically, only minor flooding in low-lying areas along the Cedar River would be expected at these flows, with the potential for water over just a few roads.
The Cedar River joins a long list of King County rivers and streams that are experiencing flooding:
• The Snoqualmie River remains at a Phase 4 flood alert level, with widespread serious flooding occurring throughout the Snoqualmie Valley. As of 4:15 a.m., the sum of the Snoqualmie River’s three forks was 37,720 CFS – an increase of more than 1,600 CFS over the previous hour’s reading.
• The Tolt River has dropped slightly from its Phase 3 flood alert level of 5,060 CFS to 4,880 CFS as of 4:15 a.m., however flows are rising once again along the Tolt, where moderate and widespread flooding was experienced overnight.
• The Green River is also at a Phase 3 flood alert level, with flooding limited to the agricultural areas upstream of Auburn. As of 4:15 a.m., the Green River at Auburn was flowing at 10,200 CFS, well above the Phase 3 threshold of 9,000 CFS.
• Issaquah Creek is at a Phase 2 flood alert level, as determined by the City of Issaquah and based on stream height at a gage near the community of Hobart. As of 4:30 a.m., the creek was at a gage height of 8.13, which is approaching the 8.50-foot threshold for a Phase 3 flood alert level.
The Flood Warning Center has been open since 11 a.m. Tuesday and crews will continue to monitor river conditions, stream gages and weather reports, and provide updated information 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.
King County offers everyone free access to KC Flood Alerts, an automated system that allows subscribers to receive customized alerts of potential flooding for any or all of King County’s six major river systems.
Immediate notifications about pending high water are sent to email, smart phone text or voicemail, providing subscribers with the maximum amount of warning about potential high water.
Find the KC Flood Alerts link at kingcounty.gov/flood. This website is a valuable preparedness resource, with all of the latest information about river levels and road conditions, plus weather reports and other critical links.
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.
