The King County Flood Warning Center closed at 9 a.m. Friday, as rain-swollen rivers returned to normal levels throughout the county.
The center closed following more than two days of round-the-clock monitoring of significant flooding throughout much of the Snoqualmie and Tolt river watersheds. Staff will continue to monitor river flows as conditions warrant.
The Flood Warning Center opened in the early hours of Nov. 12 as heavy rain soaked much of King County. Swollen by several inches of rainfall, the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers both quickly rose to dangerous Phase IV flood alert levels.
The Green River and White River also rose to Phase III and Phase II flood alert levels, respectively, as a result of planned water releases from flood-control dams upstream.
When flooding occurs, residents in affected areas can get updated information on flooding at www.kingcounty.gov/flood, or via RPIN, the area’s regional Web site at http://www.rpin.org.
A recorded flood-information hotline is also updated continuously for citizens wanting information in flood areas. The number is 206-296-8200 or 1-800-945-9263. Citizens who need help interpreting flood information should call 206-296-4535 or 1-800-768-7932. Problems on county maintained roads can be reported by calling 206-296-8100, or 1-800-KC-ROADS.
Some restrictions and closures remain:
• Preliminary reports show the State Route 169 Kummer Bridge over the Green River near Black Diamond is not moving, but must remain closed to traffic while WSDOT geotechnical experts gather more information, state officials reported Friday evening.
WSDOT experts took measurements for three days and compiled results from newly installed tilt-meters for their reports. Though the bridge is not moving, the soil that supports the bridge is showing slight signs of movement that measures just fractions of an inch.
As a precaution, WSDOT experts want to gather another 24 hours worth of data to be sure the bridge is no longer moving. They also want to secure the live information feed between the bridge and WSDOT headquarters so they can monitor movement around the clock.
“We realize this is an inconvenience to drivers, but we want to err on the side of safety,” said Lorena Eng, WSDOT Regional Administrator.
When the bridge reopens, it will reopen to passenger and truck traffic.
• State Route 410 at the Greenwater River, east of Enumclaw, is now completely open after crews cleared a 300-foot-long land slide. Drivers can check their route before they go at
www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/Update. WSDOT will update this Web site as
conditions change. Updated travel information is available by calling
5-1-1.
County Executive Ron Sims had declared a local state of emergency due to the heavy rain that sent rivers over their banks.
The emergency declaration allows King County departments to enter into contracts and incur obligations necessary to protect and provide emergency assistance to victims of flooding.
The City of Renton has closed the Cedar River trail from the Maplewood Golf Course to the Narco site near Interstate 405 and farther to Bronson and Logan.
The American Red Cross has opened emergency shelters for those who are being displaced by flood waters, mostly in the Snoqualmie Valley and Pierce County, including Buckley.
Red Cross disaster relief workers have been constantly monitoring the flood waters and are in communication with local authorities regarding the possible impact upon nearby communities. Red Cross disaster response teams have been working on mapping out logistics, scheduling volunteer availability, assembling shelter supplies, identifying potential shelter locations, and tracking weather conditions.
