King County Flood Warning Center opens as Tolt River first to flood at start of major rainstorm

January 31, 2020

Summary

The King County Flood Warning Center opened at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, as a powerful winter storm packed with heavy rain brought minor flooding to the Tolt River. Other rivers in the county could see flooding because of the rainstorm, and the Flood Warning Center will remain open as long as flood conditions persist.

Story

Heavy rainfall from a strong winter storm pushed the Tolt River to a minor flood phase on Friday, Jan. 31, and the King County Flood Warning Center opened at 8:30 a.m. to monitor conditions along the river. The storm could potentially bring flooding to additional King County rivers before conditions improve.

As of 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 31, the Tolt River was flowing at 3,860 cubic feet per second, which is slightly higher than the Phase 2 flood alert threshold of 3,500 cfs for that river. At these flows, minor flooding in low-lying areas along the Tolt River upstream of Carnation could be expected.

Heavy rain is causing swift increases to river levels and flows this morning, leading to the possibility of more rivers reaching minor and moderate flood phases before the rainfall eases and river levels begin to drop. 

The King County Flood Warning Center will remain open as long as flood conditions persist. Flood Warning Center employees will monitor stream gauges and weather reports and will 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 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 seven 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 206-477-4811 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.