Flood levels, water predictions falling in Snoqualmie Valley

Rising waters overtopped lowland roads and neighborhoods in the Snoqualmie Valley this weekend.

But the flood that crested Sunday, Dec. 12, was a shadow of the larger events that inundated the Valley in 2008 and 2009.

Monday morning readings show flood levels are falling on the Valley's rivers.

River gauge numbers released through the Floodzilla website showed the flood crest on Sunday afternoon in the Upper Valley, with flows of 33,600 cubic feet per second at Snoqualmie Falls.

In the Lower Valley, the flood crested at about 8 a.m. Monday morning at 46,600 cfs. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predictions called for the river to drop over the next few days.

King County road crews were busy responding to flooding and mudslides Sunday.

As the rain subsides, motorists should be on the lookout for debris on roadways, especially in hilly and slide-prone areas of the county. The threat of slides may be a problem for several days due to saturated soil.

Floodwater from the rising Tolt overtopped Tolt River Road in the San Souci neighborhood Sunday morning.

"My parents are still out there," said Carnation resident Anders Sjavik, who drove to the end of the line with his son Henrik to see the closure for himself. His family members live on the other side of the flooded road.

"They just hole up, they see that it's coming," Sjavik said. While this flood looked minor to him, "they say it's still going on."

On Sunday, the Carnation Public Works Department readied sand and bags for residents who might need them.

"It's on an honor system," City Manager Ken Carter. "It's more for county folk than city."

While he didn't predict any flood waters in the city on Sunday, Carter cautioned that wet weather was still in the forecast.

"There's more stuff coming," he said.

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