King County Flood Warning Center: Minor flooding possible along Cedar, Green rivers

February 1, 2020

Summary

The King County Flood Warning Center issued Phase 2 flood alerts for the Green and Cedar rivers at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, with minor flooding possible in limited areas along the rivers’ rural stretches. The Flood Warning Center continues to monitor minor to severe flooding along several rivers across King County following a sustained winter rainstorm.

Story

The King County Flood Warning Center issued Phase 2 flood alerts for the Green and Cedar rivers at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1 – the latest rivers to see flood impacts as a result of a powerful winter storm that brought several inches of rain to the region.

As of 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, the Cedar River at Landsburg was flowing at 2,930 cubic feet per second (CFS), slightly higher than the Phase 2 flood alert threshold of 2,800 CFS. At these flows, minor flooding could occur in the Dorre Don area near Maple Valley, with limited impacts.

At the same time, flows on the Green River at Auburn reached 7,040 CFS, just exceeding the 7,000 CFS threshold for a Phase 2 flood alert. Minor lowland flooding could occur in the Green River Valley upstream of Auburn, with minimal impacts to roads or other public infrastructure. 

Elsewhere in King County:

- The Tolt River remains at a Phase 4 flood alert, with severe flooding possible near Carnation;
- The Snoqualmie River is at a Phase 3 flood alert level, and widespread moderate flooding is expected across much of the Snoqualmie Valley;
- The White River is at a Phase 2 flood alert level, with minor flooding possible near the City of Pacific.

King County flood patrols are in the field to assess conditions and relay their findings to the Flood Warning Center, which opened at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, to coordinate the county’s flood response.

Flood Warning Center employees will continue to monitor stream gauges and weather reports and 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 gauge 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 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 seven major river systems.

Find the KC Flood Alerts link at kingcounty.gov/flood. This website also features the latest information about river levels and road conditions, plus weather reports and other critical links.

For help with flooding on smaller streams or urban drainage problems, call 206-477-4811 during business hours, or 206-477-8100 after hours or on weekends.

Problems on County maintained roads can be reported by calling 206-477-8100 or 1-800-KC-ROADS.

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The King County Flood Control District is a special purpose government created to provide funding and policy oversight for flood protection projects and programs in King County. The Flood Control District’s Board is composed of the members of the King County Council. The Water and Land Resources Division of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks develops and implements the approved flood protection projects and programs. Information is available at kingcountyfloodcontrol.org.