MONROE — It’s been a long, wet flood season. And they’re not out of the water yet.
Flood warnings were still in effect Wednesday as people in Snohomish County kept an eye on rising and falling rivers.
Some had taken steps to protect property or had moved out of the water’s path. Others went about their business as usual.
The Snohomish River continued to swell Wednesday near Snohomish and Monroe.
The rising water was flooding residences, inundating farmland and roads, and likely damaging levees, said meteorologist Josh Smith with the National Weather Service in Seattle. He expected the river to crest Wednesday night.
Andrew Hartzell, who lives along the flood-prone Ben Howard Road near Monroe, said he wasn’t worried about the rising river.
“I’m used to it,” he said. “It’s kind of a way of life. It’s inconvenient but it seems to go up as fast as it goes down.”
The Skykomish River near Gold Bar reached its peak Wednesday morning and is expected to continue to fall.
Volunteers in Sultan filled and stacked hundreds of sandbags on Tuesday to protect against the water.
“An hour is a long time to sandbag, 10 hours is worse,” said Elizabeth Emmons, who coordinates volunteers. “When your back is screaming at you, you’ve got to remember why you’re doing it. …Towns all over the place that deal with this have learned that they have to take care of each other.”
Emmons said volunteers worked ahead of this week’s storm because they were caught off guard by the severity of the flooding on Nov. 17.
“Everybody went plum crazy this time because nobody did anything the last time,” said Loggers Tavern owner Leo Moreno.
Though the water was receding near Sultan on Wednesday afternoon, sandbags remained stacked in front of his business and others along Main Street.
“We’re taking a wait and see approach,” said City Councilman Rocky Walker, Sultan’s volunteer emergency coordinator.
This week’s storm was the third to cause flooding in town this winter.
KJ’s Used Electronics Thrift Store filled with 3-feet of water during the November storm, said Kim Helm, who owns the new business with her fiance Jerrell Neal. The muddy water damaged or destroyed much of their merchandise.
After weeks of cleanup and raising money online, they were getting to reopen Tuesday morning when they got word that another flood was headed their way.
“Your heart just drops and you panic,” Helm said.
Sky Valley Chamber of Commerce Director Debbie Copple said many businesses have been hard hit. Genesis, a new refrigeration and ventilation business, faced rising water on the day it opened earlier in the fall, and twice since, she said.
Sultan homeowners were also hoping for a break.
Sonja Cushing was still drying the electrical box from her jeep, which was filled with water during the November flood, when neighbors started helping each other block water and move belongings to higher ground on Tuesday.
“This year has been the worst,” she said. “We’re just tired of it.”
Like the Skykomish, the main-stem Stillaguamish River was receding Wednesday afternoon near Arlington. Flood warnings for the north and south forks of the Stilly were called off.
Now, there are coastal flood and wind advisories in place for Snohomish County from 7 a.m. Thursday until 1 a.m. Friday.
High tides and low pressure are expected to cause Puget Sound to rise. Winds around 25 miles per hour are likely with gusts up to 45 miles per hour.
The forecast for Thursday calls for rain, tapering into showers by evening. The wet weather is likely to continue through Sunday. Cooler temperatures are expected with highs in the 40s and lows in the 30s.
Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @AmyNileReports
Flood resources
National Weather Service weather maps and forecasts: tinyurl.com/23dnazm
Snohomish County flood status and river levels map: gismaps.snoco.org/fws
Snohomish County road closures: tinyurl.com/pekcj92
Flood safety tips: floodsafety.noaa.gov
Snohomish and Island counties school closures: http://tinyurl.com/ngyl9gf.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
