Toni L. Bailey / The Chronicle Scott Davis, 10, hops off his bike and turns it around as the water begins to deepen on Moon Road off U.S. Highway 12 in Rochester. Davis says he doesn't know what he's going to do if his house floods, but he said he would try to save the Christmas presents.
Flood water returns to riverbanks No real damage: DOT superintendent says Highway 12 looks good and is open for traffic By Brian Mittge The Chronicle The highest waters have returned to their riverbanks and U.S. Highway 12 between Rochester and Oakville reopened this morning after a 24-hour closure as flooding in the Chehalis River basin appeared to be ending, at least for now. "We're looking real good," said Lt. Steve Mansfield, head of the Lewis County Department of Emergency Management. Flood warnings have been canceled in Lewis County, but there is still a lower level flood watch for the time being, he said. The warning remains in effect for Thurston and Grays Harbor counties as water makes its way down the main stem of the Chehalis River. On Monday night, flood waters reached their highest levels since December 1999, the National Weather Service reported. U.S. Highway 12 reopened just before dawn this morning, said Aberdeen DOT Assistant Maintenance Superintendent Tom Gibbs. "There doesn't seem to be any real damage to the roadway or road sides, so it's open to traffic," Gibbs said. The flood danger should be low through Christmas, said Warning Coordination Meteorologist Ted Buehner of the National Weather Service. "We've got a break in the action, which is the good news," Buehner said. "That's going to permit the rivers to recede back within their banks." He expects more rain over the weekend, but "just another typical rain event. Nothing extraordinary." The Lucky Eagle Casino on the Chehalis Indian Reservation has been closed since Monday, but a representative of the gaming house said it will hopefully reopen late this afternoon. There was still a foot and a half of water over the Anderson Road access this morning, according to the representative. The last time flood waters closed the casino was almost exactly two years ago, on Dec. 17, 1999, he said. The Chehalis River fell below flood stage in Centralia at about 8 p.m. Tuesday, and was projected to drop below flood stage at Grand Mound this morning about 10 o'clock. It crested at 2.3 feet over flood stage early this morning in Grand Mound, according to the National Weather Service. Riffe Lake on the Cowlitz River measured 745.3 feet of water, Tacoma Power reported, leaving more than 30 feet of flood control capacity compared to its maximum level of 778 feet.