King County Flood Warning Center issues Phase 3 flood alert for Tolt River

January 7, 2020

Summary

The King County Flood Warning Center issued a Phase 3 flood alert for the Tolt River at 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, with moderate flooding possible in low-lying areas along the river.

Story

The King County Flood Warning Center has issued a Phase 3 flood alert for the Tolt River, with moderate flooding possible upstream of Carnation after a powerful storm brought heavy rainfall to most areas of western Washington. 

As of 1:30 a.m., the Tolt River at Carnation was flowing at 5,090 cubic feet per second (CFS), a little higher than the Phase 3 flood alert threshold of 5,000 CFS. At these flows, low-lying areas along the river east of Carnation could experience swift, deep floodwaters.

The Snoqualmie River is also at a Phase 3 flood alert level. As of 1:30 a.m., the sum of the Snoqualmie River’s three forks was 25,970 CFS, well past the Phase 3 threshold of 20,000 CFS, and capable of causing road closures in portions of the Snoqualmie Valley.

The Flood Warning Center opened at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 6 to monitor rising river levels as a result of a strong winter storm that brought several inches of rainfall to parts of eastern King County. 

Flood Warning Center employees will continue to monitor stream gauges and weather reports and will provide updated information on river conditions as necessary. Real-time river level information is available online 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.

Find the KC Flood Alerts link at kingcounty.gov/flood. This website is a valuable preparedness resource, with all of the latest information about river levels and road conditions, plus weather reports and other critical links.

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

# # #

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.