Pushed by heavy rain, Tolt River rises to Phase III flood alert level; Snoqualmie River at Phase II

10 p.m. - Persistent heavy rainfall across King County has led to flooding along the Tolt and Snoqualmie rivers.

Persistent heavy rainfall across King County has led to flooding along the Tolt and Snoqualmie rivers. The King County Flood Warning Center, which was activated at 7 p.m. Thursday to monitor rising river levels, says the Tolt has now entered a Phase III flood alert level, while the Snoqualmie River is at a Phase II flood alert level.

Flood Warning Center staff say additional heavy rainfall could cause other King County rivers to experience minor flood conditions.

As of 10 p.m. Thursday, the Tolt River near Carnation was flowing at 5,010 cubic feet per second (cfs). The threshold for a Phase Three flood warning on the Tolt is 4,500 cfs, and at this level some roadways in the low-lying San Souci neighborhood could be overtopped. The nearby Tolt River Road could also see water over the roadway.

As of 10 p.m. Thursday, the sum of the Snoqualmie River’s three forks was 13,290 cfs, which is above the 12,000 cfs threshold for a Phase II flood alert on the river system. At these flow levels, the Snoqualmie River could overtop some low-lying roads, including Neal Road, Southeast Reinig Road, West Snoqualmie River Road Northeast, Snoqualmie Meadowbrook Road and Mill Pond Road.

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. Flood patrol crews will carefully look for any damage to flood structures at first light Friday morning.

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://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/flood/flood.htm.

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. 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.