King County Flood Warning Center closes as rainfall ends and river flows stabilize

January 13, 2021

Summary

The King County Flood Warning Center closed at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13, after opening early in the afternoon on Jan. 12 to monitor widespread flooding from a major rainstorm. County employees will continue to monitor weather forecasts and stream conditions.

Story

The King County Flood Warning Center closed at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13, after opening for slightly more than 24 hours to monitor flood conditions on several rivers following a powerful rainstorm that swept through the region. 

The Flood Warning Center opened shortly after noon on Tuesday, Jan. 12, when the rain swollen Tolt and Snoqualmie rivers rose to minor flood phases. The Snoqualmie River gradually rose to a moderate Phase 3 flood alert level, with more widespread flooding that led to some road closures in the Snoqualmie Valley. 

Flows on the dam-controlled Green and White rivers exceeded Phase 2 flood alert thresholds in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Jan. 13, with only minor flood impacts expected.

While the Flood Warning Center is now closed, King County employees will continue to monitor stream conditions and weather forecasts to ensure public safety. Real-time river level information is available online at kingcounty.gov/flood.

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.

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.