| Oct. 21, 2003
News Release Flows on the Snoqualmie River are leveling off in the upper valley this morning, indicating flood conditions are showing signs of improvement after Monday's record-setting rainfall. The Tolt River crested at 9 p.m. Monday night. The Snoqualmie River remains at a Phase Three Flood Alert, which means moderate flooding will occur in low-lying areas along the river. Motorists should be aware of water in roadways during their morning commute and that 12 roads in the Snoqualmie Valley remain closed due to water on the roadway. The Flood Warning Center was activated yesterday afternoon in response to a powerful fall storm that has brought prolonged heavy rain to the region and is now causing the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers to overflow their banks in low-lying areas. Rising floodwaters also prompted King County to activate its Emergency Operation Center Monday evening. The EOC closed at 3:15 a.m. this morning once it became clear the Tolt and Upper Snoqualmie waters were beginning to recede. The Snoqualmie River crested at the Sum of the Forks at about midnight at 32,490 cubic feet per second (cfs). The National Weather Service was forecasting the river would crest at Snoqualmie Falls at 5 a.m. this morning. However King County reminds residents that these are just predictions and can change. Those living or traveling in flood-prone areas should continue to monitor weather conditions and take appropriate action, if necessary. The Tolt River, which reached a Phase Four Flood Alert, crested at 11,100 cfs at about 9 p.m. Monday night. The highest flood peak on record for the Tolt is 11,400 cfs in November of 1995. While the Tolt River experienced more severe flooding, no major damage is being reported at this time due to the rural nature of the area. Some roads in these areas were closed as the higher flows moved through the Snoqualmie and Tolt river systems. Residents can monitor roadway conditions during floods and storms at the King County Road Alert Road Closures Web page at: http://www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/alert/index.htm. You can also subscribe to King County Alert and be notified by email or page about the latest road closures and travel conditions. In addition to river flooding, King County road and natural resources crews have been responding to numerous reports of local urban flooding and clogged storm drains. The King County Road Services Division reports water has been collecting on roadways throughout the last 24 hours due to continued rain, making driving difficult in some places. King County crews will continue to monitor rivers and roads prone to flooding and make closures as necessary. Motorists are warned not to drive through standing water or around barricades and road closure signs. The number one cause of flood-related deaths is motorists driving into flooded roadways. Motorists spotting a problem on a road maintained by King County should report it by calling 206-296-8100 or 1-800-KC ROADS. During river flooding events, King County operates a recorded message center with hourly updates of river gauge readings, predicted flood crests, dam operations and other related information. The recorded message number is 206-296-8200 or 1-800-945-9263. Comprehensive flood information is also available online through the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks at: http://dnr.metrokc.gov. When fall and winter storms strike, residents can monitor storm reports posted on the Regional Public Information Network (RPIN) Web site, which provides information and links to other agencies involved, as well. It is located at: www.govlink.org. King County Parks staff responded to a number of flood conditions during the storm, including closing six flooded soccer fields at Marymoor Park in Redmond. Staff have also supported the City of Sammamish with pumping high water flows off a hillside along the East Lake Sammamish Trail, and loaning a pump to the city for overnight pumping. At Lakewood Park in White Center, Parks and Roads staff have installed a temporary pump to keep flooding under control. During the heavy rainfall, King County's combined sewer overflow (CSO) system worked as designed, discharging a diluted mixture of stormwater and sewage through outfalls into lakes Union and Washington, the Duwamish River, Elliott Bay and Lake Washington Ship Canal. During normal weather, sewers in Seattle carry combined stormwater and sewage to the county's West Point Treatment Plant. Overflows occur when the miles of sewer pipe reach their capacity during heavy storms. Signs at overflow locations tell people about the possibility of overflows during storms. Although the sewage in CSOs is greatly diluted by stormwater, both CSOs and stormwater may be harmful to public health and aquatic life. King County and Seattle are engaged in a multimillion-dollar program to drastically reduce the number of combined sewer overflows. Two major projects in the Elliott Bay/Lake Union area and Rainier Beach will store millions of gallons of wastewater until storms subside. Also during the rainstorm, several of the county's 42 wastewater pump stations overflowed into Puget Sound and Lake Washington. County crews immediately went to work to correct problems at stations in Kenmore, West Seattle and Bellevue. King County is also upgrading, building and planning other wastewater treatment facilities to add flexibility and capacity to its 40-year-old system. Those improvements include pump station upgrades and the Brightwater Treatment Plant to serve north King County and south Snohomish County. Residents can learn more about King County's Combined Sewer Overflow Control Program by visiting the county's Web site at: http://dnr.metrokc.gov/WTD/cso/.
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