Those of you new to the Valley may have noticed some longtime residents scurrying about last week as the river began to rise. Many of us who have been through prior floods were a little concerned at the rate the river was rising.

I checked the flow meters around 3 a.m. on Monday morning, concerned that the torrential downpour and warm temperatures would send the river over its banks. I again checked it at 5 a.m. and learned that the flow was climbing at a rate of over 1,000 cubic feet per second each hour. Like many with homes or businesses in downtown Snoqualmie, I made a pass by the river on the way to the office and surprisingly, despite the flow levels, the water height seemed lower than at the same flow levels during previous flood events.

Could the 205 project have helped? That was my immediate thought in seeing the height of the water at over 31,000 cfs in Snoqualmie. Many have had to sandbag at that kind of volume and we, at the Valley Record, sandbagged the building at 40,000 cfs in 1995 with the water lapping at the back corner.

My opinion is yes, the 205 project near Snoqualmie Falls had a definite impact on the water levels in downtown Snoqualmie. I am still not sure if it had a negative impact downstream.

On another note, during a flooding event, please refrain from gawking at those who may be directly impacted by rising waters. As a newspaper person, I surprise myself at that statement, but put yourself in the shoes of the people affected. Also, please observe road closure signage. If you drive too fast through water on a roadway next to a house, your wake could further damage an adjacent structure.

The next flood isn’t a matter of if, but more like when. Let’s hope we have a few more years before the next big flood.