Rain-swollen rivers in Snohomish County were expected to begin cresting early Friday morning after a day-long deluge.
Although some flooding is forecast, officials aren’t expecting much water over the banks.
Rain, anywhere from one to 10 inches, depending on the forecast, was expected to push both forks of the Stillaguamish River near its banks by about 4 a.m. Friday.
The Stillaguamish near Arlington was expected to reach flood stage around 10 a.m. Friday and remain high into the afternoon. The Skykomish River was expected to crest in the late morning near Gold Bar.
Downstream, the Snohomish River was expected to crest at 10 p.m. Friday near Monroe and early Saturday morning at Snohomish. The Snohomish is heavily influenced by tides.
Up to seven inches of rain is expected to accumulate in the north Puget Sound region, and more than two inches of that rain is expected to fall overnight and into early Friday morning. The National Weather Service has issued a widespread flood warning for much of western Washington. The Stillaguamish River near Arlington is one of the most critical areas of concern for local weather experts.
Snohomish County’s Department of Emergency Management activated its Emergency Operations Center Thursday afternoon in case the rain brings more flooding than expected, department Director John Pennington said.
As of this afternoon, local weather experts said they anticipated the worst flooding to occur in city streets, where clogged and overtaxed drainage systems are likely to spill over. Residents are asked to clean out leaves and other debris from storm drains near their homes.
Snohomish County’s flooding advisory and forecast is available here.
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