Day 2 brings little relief to flood-stricken county

Numerous county roads still closed, several bus routes disrupted

The clouds may be lifting, but it will take days and weeks for the region’s transportation system to rebound from historic flooding in King County.

More than 40 roads remain closed in King County this afternoon due to the fierce winter storm. And these roads, impacted by river flooding, mudslides and urban runoff, have made travel very difficult, or even impossible in many parts of the county. Given the extent of flooding and likely damage, it may be several days before some roads can safely reopen. The Woodinville-Duvall Road and Northeast 124th Street, two key access routes into the lower Snoqualmie Valley, may not reopen until tomorrow.

In addition to extreme flooding in the Snoqualmie Valley, the county is seeing a growing number of roads in Southeast King County being closed due to slides and flooding along the Green and Cedar rivers. The extent of flooding in these areas has not been seen for some time. Particularly hard-hit locations include roads in the Tiger Mountain and Maple Valley areas.

Despite the storm’s massive punch, the good news is no serious flood-related injuries have been reported on county roads. So far, motorists appear to be heeding warnings of the dangers of driving around barricades.

Attention now turns to emergency repairs. While it will take several more days to realize the full extent of the storm, the Road Services Division says this will be an expensive storm. The division is already mobilizing to clean up debris, inspect bridges and make temporary emergency repairs as soon as the water recedes. In all, more than 300 road employees are supporting the flood response effort.

More than a dozen Metro Transit bus routes are also disrupted by flooding and landslides in Seattle, Duvall, Carnation, Fall City, Snoqualmie, North Bend, Issaquah, May Valley, Maple Valley, and Kent. People planning on traveling to those communities by bus both this afternoon and Friday should check Metro Online for specific route information, or call (206) 553-3000. When visiting the website, please remember to refresh your browser on each visit for the most currently available information. Residents should also closely monitor the latest road updates.
 
Motorists who spot a problem on a road maintained by King County can also report it by calling 206-296-8100 or 1-800-KC ROADS. Staff at the King County Flood Warning Center will also continue to monitor river gauges and provide updates to residents in flood prone areas. Residents can call the center's recorded information hotline at 206-296-8200.