AFTERNOON FORECAST: Skookumchuck expected to exceed flood stage by a foot
The Chronicle, 12/29/98
Bucoda escaped without any flooding Monday, but the National Weather Service says the South Thurston County town may not be so lucky tonight.
The Skookumchuck River is expected to pass flood stage this afternoon, cresting at 14.5 feet at Bucoda late tonight. Flood stage is 13.5 feet.
"We're keeping an eye on it, but right now things are looking safe and there's no need for evacuation," said Keith Eisner, Thurston County spokesman.
The Skookumchuck near Bucoda originally crested at 15.5 feet at noon Monday, 2 feet above flood stage, said Kathy Estes, a Thurston County Division of Emergency Management spokeswoman.
No flooding in Bucoda was reported, she said.
As of 4 a.m. today, the Skookumchuck River was just above 12 feet, Estes said.
"We're keeping a close watch on the Skookumchuck because it rises and falls in direct response to rainfall," she said.
Downstream, the Skookumchuck will rise near flood stage at Centralia, but is not expected to threaten any homes. It was at 81.79 feet at 8:15 a.m. today, well below the flood stage of 85 feet.
The Chehalis River at Centralia was at 64.9 feet at 8:15 a.m., and was expected to rise to 66 feet on Wednesday. Flood stage is at 65.3 feet.
In the southwest comer of Thurston County, the Chehalis River at Grand Mound crested at about 15 feet at midnight, about 2 feet below the 17-foot crest that occurred Thanksgiving Day, Estes said.
Flood stage for the Chehalis at Grand Mound is 13.25 feet, according to county officials.
"The Chehalis has pretty much plateaued, and we expect it to go down by midday Wednesday," Estes said.
As a result of flooding on the Chehalis, the following roads in Thurston County were closed Monday:
In addition, the Lucky Eagle Casino between Oakville and Rochester closed Monday. The casino was not flooded, but closure of Anderson Road eliminated access to the gambling emporium.
IN CHEHALIS, water closed several roads, but seemed to be subsiding this morning, said Tim Grochowski, Chehalis street superintendent. Water had closed Chehalis Avenue from John Street to the Chehalis Avenue Apartments; Florida Avenue from Airport Road to the "S" curves; Shoreline Drive; Newaukum Avenue; and the deadend section of Prindle Street.
Grochowski said he expected water to subside on many streets later today.
"We didn't get lit as hard as we thought we would," he said.
"We're standing down," Randy Hamilton, chief of police and fire services in Chehalis, said this morning. "We got a break in the weather Monday."
An evacuation of the Chehalis Avenue Apartments was canceled Monday, Hamilton said.
"We just hope all goes well in the next couple of days," he said.
Chehalis officials warn residents to be alert to the fact that the Chehalis River crests in their community several hours before it crests in Centralia.
"WHEN PEOPLE hear or see forecasts for the Mellen Street Bridge in Centralia - in terms of timing we get that six to nine hours before that here in Chehalis," City Manager Dave Campbell said Monday.
"People need to think about that when they do their planning and preparation," he added.
Campbell also urged citizens to avoid using the 9-1-1 emergency number except for emergencies. The 9-1 -1 number is not a flood information number.
Chehalis residents may call 7480526 for current flood information. Centralia residents may call 3307662. Lewis County's flood information number is 740-115 1.
When city governments activate their emergency operations centers, those numbers are answered 24 hours a day.
Centralia's center was activated just before noon Monday and closed again at 8 a.m. today.
"We'll be watching China Creek," Terry Calkins, community development director, said this morning. "It could be reactivated if we get more rain."
But Chehalis River readings have been falling since the river crested in Centralia at about 5 p.m. Monday, about six hours after it had crested in Chehalis.
Bob Nacht, Chehalis community services manager, said the Twin Cities were spared by a storm that stalled over Oregon.
"We were fortunate," he said this morning.
"THE RIVER IS RECEDING, and without a significant rain event, we're expecting nothing higher than what we had yesterday," Nacht said today.
Lewis County reported Airport, Teitzel, Roswell, and Alvord roads, as well as Tune Road in the Winlock-Vader area, were closed because of water over the roadway.
Bunker Creek Road, Hamilton Road, Jackson Highway, Frost Road, Peters Road, and Temple Road also had water over the roadway, and Independence Road near Adna had one lane open owing to a slide.
This morning, flood warnings remained in effect for the Chehalis and Skookumchuck rivers, but not for the Cowlitz River.
The Chehalis River flooded farm fields and some low-lying roads, a Lewis County Sheriff's Office dispatcher said, noting such problems are common during heavy rain in the winter.
"We have no serious problems here in Lewis County yet but everything is so saturated and so wet, it could be totally different Tuesday afternoon," the dispatcher said Monday evening.
Although rainfall tapered off Monday, the National Weather Service has forecast another 2 to 4 inches of rain today.
The freezing level will be near 7,000 feet, and melting snow from some of the recent snow in the mountains may add to the runoff.
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