Flooding, flooding and more flooding stories
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By Jim Feehan, The Chronicle, 12/30/98
BUCODA - For Ken and Kathy Martin, peace of mind means raising their home 40 inches.
The Martins' dwelling and 14 neighboring houses in Bucoda were on the receiving end of a grant to help defray the cost of elevating their homes, thereby reducing the constant threat of flooding from the Skookumchuck River.
''You wake up in the morning with a real sense of calm,'' said Ken Martin. ''And you know that you won't step into water.''
Ken Martin, who served as mayor of Bucoda 10 years ago, said they received 9 inches of water in their living room and kitchen during the 1996 flood. A steer the Martins owned, named Buster, had to be led from the barn to higher ground, he said.
''We had to move him because cows don't swim,'' Ken Martin said.
Work on the Martins' home should be completed by next week, after freezing weather before Christmas prevented workers from pouring concrete.
''We feel very fortunate now,'' Kathy Martin said.
Down the block from the Martins' home is Joe's Place, Bucoda's only tavern. A flier on the door reminds patrons of the tavern's potluck New Year's Eve party.
''Bring a dish and come ring in the new year,'' the flier reads.
But it may be a quiet night at Joe's Place, as accumulated rain and melting snow have Bucodan's watching the Skookumchuck River.
The nearly 650 residents of Bucoda take the constant flooding threat pretty much in stride.
''It's a price you pay to live by a river,'' said Ray Cogburn, Bucoda public works director. ''It's a way of life. We're always ready.''
Cogburn has left the town's public works compound open 24 hours a day for sandbagging purposes.
''A couple of homeowners have already come by for sandbags,'' he said.
The Skookumchuck crested at 15.5 feet Monday afternoon. As the rainfall tapered off, the river had fallen to about 11 feet by Tuesday. Flood stage is 14.5 feet. A flood watch remains in effect today for the Skookumchuck, according to the Thurston County Division of Emergency Management.
A flood watch means that flooding is possible, but not certain or imminent.
The date of the last big flood is remembered as some might recall birthdays and anniversaries.
''Feb. 9, 1996, the town was 5 feet under water,'' said Mike Cheek.
Two years ago, Joe's Place became an ad hoc emergency shelter, with two cots set out near the tavern's pool table. Flooding began shortly after midnight as residents sought higher ground.
''We had people and dogs in here,'' said Jean McCool, a Joe's Place employee for the past 11 years. ''We just keep the coffee coming.''
Another concern is being trapped on higher ground surrounded by water, she said.
''It's scary,'' McCool said. ''But as scary as it is, I still bought a piece of property here 15 years ago.''
Jim Feehan can be reached by e-mail at jfeehan@chronline.com or by telephoning 807-8235.
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By The Associated Press, The Chronicle, 12/30/98
Minor flooding covered low-lying roads and fields with water in Western Washington today, and officials were hopeful that the worst was already over.
"I don't want to jinx it, but it looks good," Tony Fantello, river engineer with Pierce County, said Tuesday.
The National Weather Service posted flood warnings for 12 rivers, meaning flooding is occurring or is imminent. The warnings were in effect this morning for the Satsop, Snohomish, Cowlitz and Chehalis rivers, as well as for the Skokomish, Snoqualmie, Tolt, Skykomish, Stillaguamish, Skagit, Puyallup and Carbon.
No injuries or major property damage have been reported.
Lighter rainfall caused forecasters to reduce flood predictions on many rivers Tuesday.
"Even up until Monday morning, it looked like a potential for widespread flooding," said Doug McDonnal, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle. "But last night (Monday) we got less rainfall than had been expected. And with the rain (Tuesday), we've been getting 12 hours of heavy rains instead of 24 hours."
Twenty-four hour rainfall totals ending at 4:30 a.m. today included 1.75 inches in Shelton, 1.16 inches in Olympia and 1.22 inches at Forks, the weather service reported. Highs were in the low 50s Tuesday and overnight lows were in the 40s.
Although the flooding was less serious than feared, it was enough to allow 8-year-old Andy Lockey and his 11-year-old brother, Jacob, to explore their Parkland back yard in a boat on Tuesday.
Their father, Cliff Lockey, said his land - 21/2 acres in Pierce County on the junction of the North Fork of Clover Creek with the main creek - has flooded nearly every winter since 1981.
The creek began flooding Sunday, and his home was surrounded by water on Tuesday. There was no water in the house because he had his foundation lifted, but it was knee-deep in his garage and family members wore waders to get into the house.
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By The Chronicle, The Chronicle, 12/30/98
Rivers in the Lewis County area receded this morning, relieving the danger of flooding, but several roads remain closed as crews wait for the water level to drop.
A flood warning was still in effect for the Chehalis River, but warnings for the Skookumchuck and Newaukum were lifted by the National Weather Service Tuesday night.
At 8:50 a.m. today, the Chehalis River at the Mellen Street Bridge in Centralia was at 64.33 feet. It had risen since Tuesday afternoon, but was not expected to flood.
The Skookumchuck River at the Pearl Street Bridge in Centralia was at 82.67 feet,
up from Tuesday but still well below the flood stage of 85 feet.
Upstream, the Skookumchuck crested around midnight north of Bucoda, and by 4 a.m. the gauge south of town had fallen to 13.3 feet, about 2 feet below flood stage, said Mike Karl, Thurston County's emergency program manager.
He said the county would be keeping an eye on the river as more rains come in tonight, but expects that the town is out of danger.
The Cowlitz River had fallen to 7.43 feet at Packwood and 13.72 feet at Randle. The river had not risen above flood stage at either site this week.
While the rivers are receding, several roads in Lewis County remain closed. Airport, Teitzel and Tune roads have been closed since Monday, and Independence Road is still at one lane because of a slide.
In addition, several roads still have water over them, including:
The flood risk receded in much of South Thurston County this morning, as less rain than was expected helped ease the situation Tuesday.
A storm forecast for today was not likely to cause major problems for the rain-swollen Chehalis and Skookumchuck rivers, said Karl.
"We're looking pretty good," Karl said this morning.
The Chehalis River at Grand Mound crested Monday morning, but wet weather kept the -stream more than a foot above flood stage Tuesday, Karl said.
Moon Road; Anderson Road, north and south of U.S. Highway 12; Independence Road near James Road; and Independence Road at 201st and at Michigan Hill Road remained closed Tuesday because flooding on the Chehalis River.
By tonight, all of the roads should reopen, with Anderson Road opening around midmorning today, Karl said.
According to the National Weather Service, rain will continue over most of Western Washington today, with the freezing level near 7,000 feet. Another front is expected to bring more rain tonight and Thursday, but is not expected to be heavy enough to pose a threat of renewed flooding.
Melting snow from last week's storm has had a minimal effect on flooding in South Thurston County, Karl said.
"Most of that snowfall has affected rivers and streams in King County," he said.
Although the Chehalis River is rising slightly this morning, city officials at; not expecting significant flooding to occur today.
In our case, there are at least three different factors that influence what might happen," said Bob Nacht, Chehalis community services manager.
The Newaukum River and Salzer Creek are part of the equation, but timing is also a significant factor, Nacht explained.
"All are interrelated, and all are significant," he said.
But no single factor can be used to predict local flooding.
"In Centralia, the Skookumchuck is a factor," Nacht added.
The Skookumchuck was also rising this morning, but Centralia Community Development Director Terry Calkins said he is not alarmed.
"Not at all," he emphasized today. "The Skookumchuck crested above the reservoir yesterday afternoon at about half the volume we saw the day before."
Between 5 p.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. today, there was no recorded rainfall at the fire station, he added.
As of press time today, Florida Street in Chehalis was still closed, but Chehalis Avenue was open.
"Everything's looking pretty good," reported Tim Grochowski, Chehalis street superintendent, this morning.
Centralia had water over some roads Tuesday, but today streets are open, and crews are repairing winter storm damage.
"We're out pot-holing today," said Paul McFadden, street department manager.
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