West Side Flooding Threat Eases But Yakima River Expected To Rise Until Wednesday

Tue., Feb. 21, 1995

Associated Press

Flood warnings remained in effect Monday for several Puget Sound-area rivers and the Yakima River, but the worst of this round of flooding is over.

“It looks like the waters are going down,” said spokesman Mark Stewart of the state Emergency Management Division.

“We got a lot of rainfall, but it could have been worse,” Stewart said Monday.

A Mason County shelter for evacuees was closed Monday after two or three nights of operation, Stewart said. The Skokomish River, which had threatened homes in the area, was expected to crest by the end of the day Monday as were other swollen rivers in Western Washington, the National Weather Service said.

In addition, county emergencyoperations centers were closed in Snohomish and King counties.

Rivers across the Puget Sound region spilled over their banks Sunday, driven by driving rain and unseasonably high temperatures that melted mountain snowpacks.

East of the mountains, the Yakima River was expected to continue rising until Wednesday, said National Weather Service forecaster Doug McDonnal.

Flood warnings were canceled Monday for the Cedar and Skookumchuck rivers and for the Chehalis River in Lewis County.

In addition to the Skokomish, flood warnings remained in effect but were expected to be lifted by the end of the day for the:

Snohomish River in Snohomish County.

Snoqualmie River in King County.

Chehalis River in Thurston and Grays Harbor counties.

Klickitat River in Klickitat County.

In Kitsap County, U.S. Highway 101 was reopened after a mudslide had forced its closure Sunday, Stewart said. In some places between Hoodsport and Brinnon, only one lane was open, however, as state Transportation Department crews cleared additional slides.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.