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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Continuing rain means more floods

Diane Graves rescues her neighbor’s planter as the swollen Colockum Creek races past their homes south of Wenatchee on Sunday. Heavy rain and warm temperatures to melt snow in the Cascade Mountains has created flooding conditions in many counties in the state. (Associated Press)
Staff And Wire Reports

Flood warnings remain in effect for North Idaho and Eastern Washington as rain was expected to continue into this morning.

At least one North Idaho camper already has had to be rescued.

The stranded camper, who was on dry land when he turned in for the evening Saturday on the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River, woke up on Sunday surrounded by water, according to Jerry Nickerson, of Nickerson Brothers Towing in Smelterville.

Nickerson pulled the truck and camper about 1,000 feet through 3  ½  feet of water, “but the river is higher than that now.”

The Coeur d’Alene River at Cataldo was at 0.3 feet above flood stage of 43 feet and was expected to crest at 44.8 feet this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

The St. Joe River at St. Maries, Idaho, had risen to 33.7 feet by Sunday afternoon, about 1.2 feet above flood stage. It was expected to crest near 37.1 feet by Wednesday morning.

The Kettle River in Ferry County also is expected to rise above flood stage of 18.5 feet on Tuesday.

The heaviest rain in Washington had fallen on the east slope of the Cascades. The Weather Service reported significant flooding along Colockum Creek, and mudslides were a threat in steep terrain in the Cascades.

Meanwhile, Seattle set a new daily rainfall record Saturday, which saw nearly an inch of rain.

By Sunday morning, more than an inch-and-a-half of rain had fallen on the Puget Sound area from just one storm, closing in on the entire average monthly amount of 1.7 inches.