King County closes Flood Warning Center as rainfall ends and rivers stabilize

January 12, 2022

Summary

The King County Flood Warning Center closed at 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 12, as river flows slowly receded from their peak flows following heavy rainfall across the region.

Story

The King County Flood Warning Center closed at 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 12, after more than 20 hours of monitoring river flooding conditions that occurred as a result of steady heavy rainfall.

The Flood Warning Center opened at 12:45 a.m. on Wednesday, to monitor minor flooding along the Snoqualmie River. A few hours later, the Tolt River also reached a Phase 2 flood alert, with minor flooding upstream of Carnation. Both rivers reached a Phase 3 flood alert level, leading to moderate widespread flooding – including road closures from high flows.

Flows on the White River reached a Phase 2 flood alert level at about 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, with minor flooding possible near Pacific.

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.

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.