Flood warning in effect despite change in weather

Associated Press

SEATTLE – Wind and rain that pummeled Western Washington during the weekend died down early today, with Seattle and other cities awakening to calm blue skies.

Still, flood warnings remained in effect for numerous rivers on the west side of the state, where record rains fell Sunday.

Ferry service between Port Townsend and Keystone on Whidbey Island resumed today after being canceled Saturday morning. Strong winds through Admiralty Inlet resulted in some damage to the Keystone terminal Saturday when the ferry Klickitat was blown into some wood pilings.

Flood warnings remained in effect for parts of the Chehalis, Skookumchuck, Satsop, Skokomish, Deschutes, Puyallup and Snoqualmie rivers, and for rivers and streams along the west slopes of the Olympic Range. Skies, however, were clear to partly cloudy over much of the state, with light to moderate breezes in most places.

Rain over the weekend brought the total since Oct. 1 to more than 17 inches in Seattle, exceeding the city’s total for the entire previous rainy season, Oct. 1 through March 31. The state capital, Olympia, has had more than 25 inches since Oct. 1.

Rainfall records for Dec. 16 were set in Shelton with 3.44 inches, breaking the mark of 2.85 inches set in 1997; Olympia, 2.90 inches, compared with 2.57 inches in 1997; Port Angeles, 2.10 inches, compared with 1.07 inches in 1982, and Hoquiam, 2.10 inches, compared with 1.82 inches in 1997.

A precipitation record also was set at Stampede Pass in the Cascades, 1.88 inches, compared with 1.10 inches in 1951.

“It’s been a very wet two and a half months,” said Doug McDonnal of the National Weather Service in Seattle. “So far for this wet season, we’ve gotten about 120 to 150 percent of normal.”

The Army Corps of Engineers activated an emergency operation center in Seattle during the weekend and began organizing dispatch assistance teams, one of which was sent to the Chehalis River in Grays Harbor County.

The teams, available when local resources are overtaxed, can provide sandbags and rock to bolster levees, evacuate residents and livestock and take other action.

In the mountains, small avalanches triggered by skiers were reported at Stevens Pass and Crystal Mountain on Saturday. Skiers were caught in two slides on Crystal Mountain but escaped serious injury.

Winds gusting to 50 mph were reported that day on the coast at Ocean Shores, where Washington 109 was blocked by fallen trees and water ran 6 to 8 inches over the road in places.

At Lilliwaup on Hood Canal, 4.05 inches of rain was recorded over a 20-hour period ending Sunday morning.

Flooding of some roads and homes were reported along the nearby Skokomish River.