King County Flood Warning Center issues Phase 2 flood alert for White River - river levels still running high from heavy rain

January 12, 2022

Summary

The King County Flood Warning Center has issued a Phase 2 flood alert for the White River, with minor flooding possible in and near the City of Pacific. The Flood Warning Center opened at 12:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 12, to closely monitor rising river levels.

Story

The White River has reached a Phase 2 flood alert level, with minor flooding possible in and near the City of Pacific, according to the King County Flood Warning Center, which opened at 12:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 12, to monitor rising river levels across the county following heavy rainfall.

As of 7:45 p.m. on Jan. 12, flows along the White River below Mud Mountain Dam were recorded at 5,020 cubic feet per second (CFS), slightly higher than the Phase 2 flood alert threshold of 5,000 CFS for the river. At these flows, minor overbank flooding could occur in the vicinity of the A Street Bridge in Auburn; near Government Canal and Butte Avenue in the City of Pacific; and along the temporary flood barriers in Pacific.

Earlier in the day, the Flood Warning Center issued Phase 3 flood alerts for the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers, with moderate widespread flooding occurring along portions of those two rivers that resulted in numerous road closures.

King County Flood Warning Center employees are monitoring stream gauges and weather reports to provide updated information on river conditions as necessary. Flood patrol crews spent several hours earlier today in the field to monitor flood impacts and report their observations back to Flood Warning Center employees.

Find real-time river level information 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.

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

RELEVANT LINKS
• Sign up for flood warnings and alerts
• King County Flood Control District

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Doug Williams, Department of Natural Resources and Parks, 206-477-4543

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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.