Recent torrential rain together with melting Cascades snow has swelled riversof western Washington, causing so to burst their banks in potentiallylife-threatening floods.By late Sunday morning, local time, rivers gauging minor, moderate and evenmajor flooding included the Snoqualmie, Snohomish, Tolt, Skykomish, and theStillaguamish, all of which drain westward from the Cascades.
Graph of forecast for Snohomish River atSnohomish, Wash. (National Weather Service)One, the Snohomish, has been forecast by National Weather Servicehydrologists to crest near major flood stage on Monday in lowlands north ofSeattle. Some roads and farmland would be inundated.
Major flooding with a near-record crest has also been forecast for the lowerStillaguamish River at Arlington late Sunday. This crest would flood roads andresidential areas, potentially breaking flood control dikes.
Rivers on the Olympic Peninsula have also been swelled into flood by heavy rainand melting mountain snow. Of these, the Skokomish RIver was already toppingmajor flood stage by midday, Sunday, with flowing water invading roads andresidential areas.
A lull in the rain Sunday night and Monday will slow the runoff to swollenstreams and rivers and bring an end to the most dangerous phase of this seriousflood outbreak.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Jim Andrews
