King County Flood Warning Center monitoring flows as Green, White rivers stay at Phase Three alert status

King County is continuing to monitor a number of rivers after several days of steady rain recently pushed some streams into the second and third stages of the county's four-stage flood-alert system.

Staff at the King County Flood Warning Center, which opened at 6 a.m. on Jan. 10, say flows on the Green and White rivers are expected to remain at the Phase Three alert level for several days.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates flood-control dams on the two rivers, is regulating flows on the Green and the White rivers so that additional flood-storage capacity can be created behind the dams, as additional precipitation is anticipated for at least the next week.

The Phase Three warning level means that some minor-to-moderate flooding could be experienced in low-lying areas, particularly in the Green River Valley above Auburn and in the Red Creek area along the White River. King County crews will continue to monitor flood-control facilities in the field.

As of 3:30 p.m., the Green River at Auburn was flowing at 9,440 cubic feet per second (cfs) and holding steady. A phase three flood warning occurs on the Green River once the river's flow exceeds 9,000 cfs at the Auburn gage. According to the Corps, the White River below Mud Mountain Dam is flowing at 10,000 cfs. Phase Three warnings are issued on the White when the flow exceeds 8,000 cfs.

King County flood warning staff continue monitoring a number of rivers throughout the county that are at lower flood-alert levels.

The Snoqualmie River continues in a Phase Two flood warning and is not expected to rise beyond that status in the next few days. Issaquah Creek also remains at Phase Two flood warning and is stable, while the Tolt River near Carnation has dropped well below the Phase Two flood threshold.

King County's Flood Warning Center will remain open and continue to monitor lowland flooding on major rivers and streams, and field crews will continue 24-hour surveillance of levee conditions.