OKANOGAN COUNTY — Two people from the Everett Fire Department are helping with floods on the other side of the state.
Water is expected to rise in Okanogan County until Sunday. Severe thunderstorms caused the National Weather Service to issue flash flood warnings Thursday afternoon.
Everett’s Brent Stainer was called to assist with emergency management there, and brought along Rachael Doniger, a public education coordinator. They left Monday. They are working in the city of Okanogan and should return by Tuesday.
John Holdsworth from Snohomish County emergency management also went, and Mark Murphy was expected to relieve him by Friday.
The National Weather Service in Spokane says flood warnings continue for rivers and lakes in Washington and Idaho — with the Okanogan, Similkameen and Methow rivers all affecting the flooding.
Usually, the fire department in Everett only travels to help with wildfires, but Stainer specializes in natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, Fire Marshal LeRoy McNulty said. Okanogan County usually floods every year, but not to this extent.
Other fire departments in Snohomish County are on standby.
As of Friday morning the Okanogan River near Tonasket was at 19.27 feet. Flood stage is 15 feet. The river is expected to rise to 19.29 feet by Sunday, then begin to recede.
The NWS says that at 18 feet, water will approach homes along the river in Tonasket and major flooding of surrounding cropland is likely. Buildings adjacent to the river could experience basement and first floor flooding.
Okanogan County Commissioners declared an emergency for hazardous conditions.
Sheriff Frank Rogers ordered the closure of the Okanogan River to all recreation until further notice. That includes boating and swimming.
“The river poses extreme danger due to high flows, cold temperatures and debris such as logs and brush being carried downstream. These dangers can cause injury or death. Hypothermia caused by the runoff can affect those in the river,” he wrote.
The communities of Tonasket and Oroville were quick to respond with volunteers, many of them high school students. They have been filling sandbags since May 8, for people to use to protect their homes.
There was a stream of pickups, flatbeds and cars pulling trailers at Oroville High School where students and staff filled the bags. People were picking them up for themselves and their neighbors.
The Daily Herald reporter Stephanie Davey contributed to this story. The Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune is a sibling paper of The Herald.
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