THE CHEHALIS: The rising river has closed some roads, and several homeowners are on notice.
By John Dodge, The Olympian, 11/28/98
OLYMPIA The rain swollen Chehalis River poured over its banks Thursday, closing roads and forcing evacuations from Chehalis to Oakville.
The river continued to rise past midnight, and emergency managers called the situation potentially dangerous.
Shortly before 10:30 p.m. officials reported that state Route 12 had been closed between moon Road and Oakville.
Meanwhile, the Deschutes River overflow inundated Tumwater Valley Municipal Golf Course on Thursday afternoon before flowing into Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet.
Downtown Olympia was spared flooding, and families in the upper Deschutes River watershed apparently weathered the storm.
"The water was all around my house, but I opted not to leaves said Cougar Mountain resident Joanne Byrnes, who had been on the verge of evacuating late Wednesday.
"I don't know of anybody that left their home," said
Byrnes, 72.
As the Deschutes quickly receded, emergency services officials turned their attention to the Chehalis.
The National Weather Service predicted that the Chehalis could crest 3 feet above flood stage in south Thurston County before rolling into Grays Harbor County on its way to the sea.
By 6 p.m., the flooding was severe enough to close several south county roads, including Anderson Road to the Chehalis Indian Reservation and independence Road.
Areas near Rochester and Oakville were expected to flood by midnight, Thurston County emergency services manager Mike Karl said.
"We could see some residential flooding - maybe five or six families," Karl said.
By comparison, the February 1996 flood forced 40 Rochester area families from their river valley homes.
Karl said residents in the floodprone areas should keep a close on the rising water and be prepared to evacuate with little or notice.
The Thurston County Sheriff's dive team was on alert Thursday to conduct emergency rescues if needed.
The Red Cross is ready to open an emergency shelter in the Rochester area, if necessary. No requests for emergency shelter were received Wednesday night or Thursday.
In Chehalis, the swollen river rose 4 feet over flood stage Thursday, forcing about 60 people from the Chehalis Avenue Apartments, Lewis County dispatch supervisor Les Mauel said.
The Chehalis River was reacting to a steady week of rain, which included more than 3 inches in Olympia on Wednesday, a record for Nov. 25.
After a Thanksgiving Day of showers and occasional clearing, the forecast called for showers at times today with rain returning late Saturday. Sunday and Monday should be wet and windy.
The Chehalis River was expected to fall below flood stage Saturday morning, Karl said.
Residents in floodprone areas may call the county emergency operations center Friday at 754-3360 for more information.
About 7,000 people live in floodprone areas of Thurston County, including the floodplains of the Black, Chehalis, Nisqually, Deschutes and Skookumchuck rivers.
Only the Chehalis and Deschutes reached flood stage this week.
John Dodge covers the environment for The Olympian. He can be reached at 754-5444.
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