King County opens Flood Warning Center as heavy rain leads to minor flooding on Tolt River

8:30 p.m. - King County activated its Flood Warning Center at 7 p.m. Thursday to monitor minor flooding along the Tolt River, as heavy rainfall raised the river into a Phase II flood alert level.

King County activated its Flood Warning Center at 7 p.m. Thursday to monitor minor flooding along the Tolt River, as heavy rainfall raised the river into a Phase II flood alert level. Additional heavy rainfall could cause other King County rivers into flood conditions.

As of 8 p.m. Thursday, the Tolt River near Carnation was flowing at 3,880 cubic feet per second (cfs). The threshold for a Phase Two flood warning on the Tolt is 2,500 cfs. Some roads in low-lying areas could close as a result of the higher stream flow.

A Phase Two warning on any major King County river is the level of the county's four-phase warning system at which the Flood Warning Center is activated to monitor lowland flooding. It will remain open and continue to monitor the river flooding until conditions improve.

Flood Warning Center staff are monitoring stream gauges and weather reports, and will provide updated information on river conditions as necessary, and a flood patrol crew was dispatched Thursday evening to more closely monitor conditions from the field.

Flood Warning Center staff will continue to monitor stream gauges and weather reports and provide updated information on river conditions as necessary. Real-time river level information is available online at http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/waterandland/flooding/warning-system.aspx .

Updated information on flooding will also be posted on the King County Web site at www.kingcounty.gov, or via RPIN, the area's regional Web site at http://www.rpin.org/rpinweb/ . A recorded flood-information hotline is also updated each hour for citizens wanting information in flood areas. The number is 206-296-8200 or 1-800-945-9263.

Citizens who need help interpreting flood information should call 206-296-4535 or 1-800-768-7932. Problems on county maintained roads can be reported by calling 206-296-8100 or 1-800-KC-ROADS.