Tagged: flood watch

Federal water and dam managers are draining reservoirs in the Columbia and Snake River basins to get ready for "big water" coursing downriver. In recent weeks, the Army Corps of Engineers has called for bigger drawdowns -- or as the agency calls it "drafting" -- to protect against flooding. Supervisory engineer Peter Brooks says more room is needed to catch runoff from the bountiful snows of March.

Some major western Washington rivers are expected to flood today, including "major" flooding forecast along the Snohomish and Snoqualmie, according to the National Weather Service.

Heavy rains the past few days, with heavy concentrations in the Cascades and Cascade foothills, and warmer mountain temperatures, have produced rapid runoff.

Flood warnings are issued for these rivers in Snohomish and King counties:

• Snohomish
• Skykomish
• Snoqualmie
• Tolt
• Stillaguamish (north and middle forks)
• Green (middle reach upstream of Auburn)
  

Making headlines around the Northwest this morning:

• Heavy Rains Coming Wednesday Trigger Flood Watch
• Pierce Transit Makes Some Deep Service Cuts Permanent
• King County Project Likely Culprit of Massive Sinkhole

Flood Watch Tomorrow for Western Washington

Heavy rains over the next few days have triggered a flood watch beginning tomorrow afternoon for many western Washington counties. The National Weather Service office in Seattle forecasts warmer temperatures as a very wet frontal system stalls over the region tonight and tomorrow, dumping rain and raising mountain freezing levels from 7,000 to 9,000 feet. 

A veteran Washington State Department of Transportation worker has died after being hit by a falling tree during Sunday night's rain storm.  Maintenance Superintendent Jim McBride said the worker was setting up safety cones to alert motorists to downed power lines when the tree fell on his truck and killed him on Highway 203 just south of Carnation. 

Department spokeswoman Kris Olsen identified the man as 66-year-old Billy Rhynalds, a 12-year veteran of the department.