Worst Of Washington Flooding May Be Over But Warnings Remain In Effect Along 17 Rivers, Four Of Them In Eastern Washington

Hundreds of volunteers fought floodwaters surrounding this low-lying delta community Thursday, plugging gaps in earthen dikes to prevent the rising Skagit River from filling the island like a bathtub.

“We’re not giving up,” Skagit County Sheriff Ed Goodman said.

At midday, an army of workers and volunteers, sandbagging and dumping loads of gravel along the soggy dikes, had succeeded in keeping water from the island’s rich farmland, which was devastated by the state’s record 1990 floods.

“I had the day off and I couldn’t not do it,” said volunteer Dan Crookes, whose own home is safely above flood level.

Despite the intense effort here, it appeared the worst of Washington’s latest round of flooding was over, though disruptions remained widespread, with continuing road and highway closures, and disrupted train travel, telephone communications and school schedules.

A cold front moved in from the northwest overnight, reducing rainfall and slowing the rush of snowmelt from the mountains. The flooding was triggered by a “Pineapple express” weather system that swept into the state Sunday from the South Pacific, bringing heavy rain and temperatures in the 60s.

The Skagit River crested early Thursday afternoon at 37.36 feet at nearby Mount Vernon, the National Weather Service said, just short of the 1990 record, 37.37 feet.

Flood warnings remained in effect on 17 Washington rivers, four of them in Eastern Washington, where the Naches, Wenatchee, Yakima and Klickitat rivers were at flood stage.

Record or near-record flooding was reported on four Western Washington rivers - the Skagit, Snohomish, Snoqualmie and Cowlitz. Flood watches remained in effect on two rivers, the Green and the Okanogan.

However, the rivers were at or near their crests Thursday, and many were expected to start receding by the end of the day, said Jim Carroll of the National Weather Service in Seattle.

Moderate precipitation forecast through the weekend was expected to “fall in the mountains and … stay up there,” he said.

But the crisis was far from over.

Water-related road closures were still complicating travel in the region, and officials said it could be days before enough water drained away to reopen all of them. But two Snoqualmie Valley towns - Duvall and Carnation - were accessible again Thursday after a day of flood-imposed isolation, city officials said.

“We did about three days’ worth of business in one day. It was incredible,” said Bob MacKay, assistant manager of the Cherry Valley Family Grocer, the only grocery store in Duvall.

“Nobody was fighting. Everybody was patient. Long lines at the checkout stands are usually the toughest part. But we had no problems whatsoever. It was real nice.”

Burlington Northern railroad crews worked to repair track washouts at Gold Bar and Leavenworth that shut the main line between Seattle and Spokane. BN spokesman Gus Melonas said trains were being routed south through the Columbia River Gorge until the tracks could be repaired, hopefully by tonight.

AT&T said flooding knocked out a fiber-optic cable route near Everett, affecting some telephone service in the area, including calls to Olympia, the state capital. Technicians were working to repair the problem, spokeswoman Sue Adams said from Denver.

High tides Thursday complicated the flood situation on the Skagit and Nooksack rivers in the state’s northwest corner, slowing the flow of floodwaters into marine waters, Carroll said.

All of Fir Island’s 250-300 residents left late Wednesday, joining hundreds of refugees fleeing rising waters in the region. While most left to stay with friends or relatives, 25 shelters were open in nine counties, serving about 190 people, said Mark Clemens at the state Emergency Services Division.

“That doesn’t begin to account for people who may’ve left their homes,” he said.

It was too early for damage estimates, Clemens said. In 1990, when some of the worst flooding in memory swelled 20 state rivers and forced thousands from their homes, damage exceeded $160 million.

“People are extremely nervous, but … they know how to pull together,” said Michaelyn Bachhuver, who runs an organic farm on Fir Island.

Taking a short break from sandbagging, she said she was impressed by the number of volunteers, many of them “people who don’t have anything to lose” coming out to work in the muck.

At Mount Vernon, a city of more than 21,000 people, sandbags snaked the length of the river through town, a testament to hours of work by volunteers ranging from teenagers to retirees.

“If it goes over, it’s just game over,” said Rhonda Wagstaff, co-owner of Rhythm & Brews, a tavern along the river surrounded by water this morning. Pumps and 3- to 4-foot walls of sandbags kept the worst at bay - and a stain on an inside wall showed the worst 1990 had to offer.

A sign on the front door boasted: “Come hell or high water, we are open.”

Gov. Mike Lowry declared a state of emergency Thursday in Kittitas and Wahkiakum counties, adding them to a list that already included Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Jefferson, King, Lewis, Mason, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Whatcom and Yakima counties.