Here’s the latest advisory, issued at 8:55 p.m. Friday night (Jan. 20):

…WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 10 AM PST SATURDAY…

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…EVERETT…SEATTLE…TACOMA…OLYMPIA.

* TIMING…SOUTH WINDS WILL INCREASE LATE TONIGHT AS A STRONG TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS THE AREA.

* WIND…SOUTH WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH.

* IMPACTS…GUSTY WINDS MAY SNAP TREE BRANCHES AND CAUSE LOCAL POWER OUTAGES. AREAS WITH TREE AND LIMB DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE ICE STORM MAY SEE NUMEROUS ADDITIONAL FALLING LIMBS. BEWARE SNAGS WHICH ARE LIKELY TO FALL WHEN THE WIND INCREASES OVERNIGHT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WIND ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 39 MPH OR GUSTS OF 45 TO 57 MPH ARE LIKELY.

Oh, and did we forget to mention that they also issued a ‘Flood Advisory,’ in effect until Saturday afternoon:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED AN URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY FOR RAIN AND MELTING SNOW IN…

CLALLAM COUNTY…
ISLAND COUNTY…
JEFFERSON COUNTY…
SAN JUAN COUNTY…
SKAGIT COUNTY…
WHATCOM COUNTY…
KING COUNTY…
KITSAP COUNTY…
LEWIS COUNTY…
MASON COUNTY…
PIERCE COUNTY…
SNOHOMISH COUNTY…
THURSTON COUNTY…
GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY…

* UNTIL 330 PM PST SATURDAY.

* AT 331 PM PST RAIN GAGE REPORTS AND NWS DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED MODERATE RAIN OVER MOST OF THE ADVISORY AREA. AMOUNTS RANGE FROM OVER AN INCH IN THE SOUTHWEST WHERE THE RAIN BEGAN SEVERAL HOURS AGO TO A FEW HUNDREDTHS OR ZERO TO THE NORTH WHERE THE RAIN IS JUST GETTING STARTED.

LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN WITH OCCASIONALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL OVERSPREAD THE ENTIRE AREA TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY. TOGETHER WITH MELTING SNOW OVER THE LOWLANDS…EXPECT PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND IN NEIGHBORHOODS. STORMWATER WILL POOL IN THE SNOW COVER BEFORE EVENTUALLY MELTING AND RUNNING OFF. IN ADDITION…THE SNOW COVER AND ICE COULD BE BLOCKING STORM DRAINS AND/OR CULVERTS WHICH COULD ALSO RESULT IN EXCESSIVE PONDING OF WATER OR CAUSE SMALL STREAM TO OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS.

RUNOFF FROM THE RAIN AND MELTING SNOW WILL INCREASE THE POSSIBILITY OF LANDSLIDES AND DEBRIS FLOWS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

CLEARING NEARBY STORM DRAINS COULD HELP LESSEN THE PONDING OF WATER.

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF FLOOD WATERS. ONLY A FEW INCHES OF RAPIDLY FLOWING WATER CAN QUICKLY CARRY AWAY YOUR VEHICLE.

And here’s the latest 7-day forecast:

Overnight: Rain. Temperature rising to around 40 by 5am. South wind between 16 and 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Saturday: Showers likely, mainly after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 46. Windy, with a southwest wind between 22 and 30 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Saturday Night: Showers likely, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Southwest wind around 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Sunday: Rain. High near 44. Southeast wind between 6 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Sunday Night: Rain. Low around 38. South southeast wind around 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Monday: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 43. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Monday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 37.

Tuesday: Rain. Cloudy, with a high near 47.

Tuesday Night: Rain. Cloudy, with a low around 37.

Wednesday: Rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51.

Wednesday Night: Rain. Cloudy, with a low around 37.

Thursday: Showers. Cloudy, with a high near 48.

Thursday Night: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 35.

Friday: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 46.

It’s likely that local private schools will follow suit, so be sure to check with them to see if Thursday will be another snow day.

The National Weather Service says that there is a chance of a bit more snow tonight, but that it should turn to rain Thursday and Friday, with another storm moving in that will dump a lot more rain on us, causing concern for flooding in local rivers.

We suggest to our Readers that now would be a good time to clear around your local storm drains as the snow melts and the rains come.

Here’s the most recent weather advisory, issued at 3:57 p.m.:

HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA 357 PM PST WED JAN 18 2012

…CORRECTED TO ADD SPECIFIC MENTION OF RIVERS…

…FLOOD POTENTIAL THIS WEEKEND FOR SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON…

A WET AND ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN IS IN PLACE FOR WESTERN WASHINGTON FOR THE NEXT WEEK. AS WE WIND UP THIS SNOW STORM…WE WILL BE EVALUATING THE AMOUNT OF WATER EQUIVALENT THAT IS LYING ON THE GROUND WAITING TO MELT AND RUNOFF IN TO AREA RIVERS.

MEANWHILE…A PACIFIC STORM IS HEADING FOR WESTERN WASHINGTON FOR FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY THAT WILL BRING RAIN OF ONE HALF TO TWO AND ONE HALF INCHES BELOW 4000-5000 FEET ELEVATION. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE MID FORTIES AND TOGETHER WITH THE WIND AND RAIN…WILL MELT THE LOWLAND SNOW. THIS AMOUNT OF RUNOFF COULD DRIVE RIVERS IN LOW ELEVATION BASINS ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. THIS INCLUDES THE CHEHALIS AND SKOKOMISH RIVERS. ANY FLOODING THAT DOES OCCUR IS EXPECTED TO BE MINOR. IN ADDITION…THIS COULD PRODUCE URBAN AND SMALL STREAM
PONDING OR FLOODING FROM SNOW AND ICE CLOGGED DRAINS AND CULVERTS JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE IN THE LOWLANDS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON.

THIS WILL BE A TRICKY SITUATION TO FORECAST AND UNCERTAINTY THAT THERE WILL OR WILL NOT BE FLOODING IS QUITE HIGH. RAINFALL INTENSITIES AND THE AMOUNT AND RATE OF LOWLAND SNOW MELT WILL DETERMINE HOW HIGH THE RIVERS RISE. THERE IS A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY IN HOW MUCH SNOW WATER THERE IS AND HOW FAST THAT SNOW WILL MELT.

RIVER MODELS DO NOT ALWAYS HANDLE THESE SITUATIONS VERY WELL SO SPECIFIC RIVER FORECASTS MAY NOT FULLY INDICATE THE EXISTING FLOOD RISK.

BEYOND THIS WEEKEND…WE WILL CONTINUE TO GET STORMS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD RISES ON AREA RIVERS INTO NEXT WEEK FOR ADDITIONAL PERIODS WHEN THERE MAY BE THE RISK OF FLOODING.

STAY TUNE TO THE LATEST WEATHER AND RIVER FORECASTS AND BULLETINS.

Here’s the latest 7-day :

Tonight: A chance of snow before 10pm, then a chance of rain and snow. Snow level 200 feet. Cloudy, with a low around 30. North northeast wind between 5 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Thursday: A chance of rain and snow. Snow level 100 feet. Cloudy, with a high near 37. North northeast wind between 7 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Thursday Night: A chance of rain and snow. Snow level 200 feet. Cloudy, with a steady temperature around 34. North northeast wind between 7 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Friday: Rain. High near 44. South southeast wind between 5 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday Night: Rain. Low around 40. South southeast wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Saturday: Rain. High near 46. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Saturday Night: Rain. Low around 37. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday: Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43.

Sunday Night: Rain. Cloudy, with a low around 38.

Monday: Rain. Cloudy, with a high near 43.

Monday Night: Rain. Cloudy, with a low around 37.

Tuesday: Rain. Cloudy, with a high near 47.

Tuesday Night: Rain. Cloudy, with a low around 37.

Wednesday: Rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47.

The National Weather Service released a ‘Wind Advisory‘ Monday (Nov. 21), warning residents of south winds from 20 – 30 mph with gusts between 45 – 57 mph through Noon Tuesday.

So batten down your blue tarps Burien, and make sure you’re ready, as “winds tonight through Tuesday morning could topple small trees or cause local power outages,” according to the weather peeps.

According to noted UW Meteorologist Cliff Mass:

A VERY serious storm is going to hit the Northwest during the next two days–one that will cause flooding and coastal wind damage.

And the urban areas are doing to experience a deluge.

Folks, this will be a major event.

Here’s the Wind Advisory, as of 4:54 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21:

… Wind Advisory remains in effect until noon PST Tuesday…

* some affected locations… Stanwood… Everett… Seattle…  Renton… Bellevue… Bremerton… and Tacoma.

* Wind… increasing from the south at 20 to 30 mph with gusts as high as 50 mph overnight… then decreasing Tuesday morning.

* Timing… the strongest winds are expected to occur between 10 PM tonight and 7 am PST Tuesday.

* Impacts… winds this strong can topple trees and cause local power outages.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…

A Wind Advisory is issued when sustained winds of 30 to 39 mph or gusts of 45 to 57 mph are likely. Winds this strong can snap small tree branches… topple small or shallow rooted trees… and cause local power outages.

And if that’s not enough, a Flood Watch was also issued for Tuesday morning through Wednesday night:

… Flood Watch in effect from Tuesday morning through late Wednesday night…

The National Weather Service in Seattle has expanded the

* Flood Watch to include a portion of western Washington…  including the following counties… King… Lewis… Pierce…  Snohomish… Thurston.

* From Tuesday morning through late Wednesday night

* rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches tonight and Tuesday as the snow level rises to around 6000 feet… then another 1 to 3 inches of rain Tuesday night and Wednesday as the snow level gradually falls to around 3000 feet.

* Rivers facing the greatest threat of flooding include the Newaukum… Chehalis… Puyallup river near Orting… Snoqualmie…  and stillaguamish.

* If flooding does occur… it will probably be relatively minor.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…

A Flood Watch means conditions are favorable for flooding but flooding is not imminent or occurring. Monitor the latest forecasts from the National Weather Service and be ready to act quickly if flooding is observed or a warning is issued.

And here’s the latest forecast:

Late Afternoon: Rain. High near 49. Breezy, with a south wind around 22 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Tonight: Rain. Low around 44. Breezy, with a south wind between 21 and 28 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Tuesday: Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. High near 53. Windy, with a south wind 29 to 32 mph decreasing to between 6 and 9 mph. Winds could gust as high as 48 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Tuesday Night: Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. Low around 41. South southwest wind between 6 and 9 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Wednesday: Showers. High near 46. South wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Wednesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36.

Thanksgiving Day: Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 46. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Thursday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 37.

On Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010, Miller Creek flooded and closed Shorebrook Drive near The Cove in Normandy Park. Part of the overflow rushed through the front yard of this house. Photo by Scott Schaefer.

The National Weather Service has issued a ‘Hydrologic Outlook‘ statement Monday morning (Nov. 21) warning residents of western Washington of lots of rain, and of course the potential for flooding.

If you live near a creek in the Burien area, you may want to keep your eye on it.

Also, if you have a rake and are able to, may we recommend that you put a slicker on and walk around clearing nearby storm drains.

Here’s the Hydrologic Outlook:

HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA 452 AM PST MON NOV 21 2011

…Periods of heavy rain over the Cascades tonight and continuing into Wednesday could cause flooding…

A strong frontal system is forecast to remain over western Washington tonight into Wednesday morning. This system has the potential to bring very heavy rains to the Olympics and to a lesser extent the Washington Cascades.

Current forecasts have the front dropping south later Tuesday before hanging up over the central and southern Washington Cascades Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. This opens up the possibility of some the rivers in southwest Washington reaching flood stage on Wednesday.

People living along the rivers in southwest Washington should pay attention to the latest updates over the next couple of days.

Here’s the forecast for this week:

Today: Showers. High near 48. South wind between 15 and 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Tonight: Rain. Low around 45. South wind between 15 and 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Tuesday: Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. High near 54. Breezy, with a south wind 25 to 28 mph decreasing to between 5 and 8 mph. Winds could gust as high as 41 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Tuesday Night: Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. Low around 45. South wind between 5 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Wednesday: Showers. High near 48. South wind between 3 and 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Wednesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Thanksgiving Day: Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Thursday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 38.

Friday: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 46.

Friday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 40.

Saturday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 54.

Saturday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 41.

Sunday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 46.

Photo of storm damage to the home of Dane Johnson and Kathy Justin, damaged and red-tagged by the City of Burien on Nov. 23, 2010.

The City of Burien on Monday (July 11) announced that they will be proposing changes to Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in an attempt to “better define areas of risk from damage by storm waves and tides and to improve data for making land use decisions.”

The proposal will decrease by 3.5 feet the mark for land which has been determined to be subject to a 1% (100-year) or greater chance of flooding in any given year.

It will also include “widening and narrowing of the 1% annual chance floodplain with the maximum widening of 40 feet at a point approximately 330 ft west of Maplewild Ave SW near SW 156th Street, and the maximum narrowing of 160 feet approximately 70 feet southwest of 30th Avenue SW near Seola Beach Drive SW.”

Here’s the notice in its entirety from the city’s website:

Notice to Property Owners on the Puget Sound shoreline within the City of Burien of Proposed Change in Flood Insurance Rate Maps
City of Burien
400 SW 152nd St., Suite 300
Burien, Washington 98166-1917

Date: July 7, 2011

Applicant: City of Burien

Proposal
The Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for a community depicts land which has been determined to be subject to a 1% (100-year) or greater chance of flooding in any given year. The FIRM is used to determine flood insurance rates and to help the community with floodplain management.

The City of Burien is applying for a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS-FEMA) to revise FIRM 53033C, Panels 0935F, 0953F, and 0955F for King County, Washington, and incorporated areas along the Puget Sound shoreline within the Burien city limits. The City of Burien is proposing the flood hazard elevations and hazard zone designations to better define areas of risk from damage by storm waves and tides and to improve data for making land use decisions.

The Letter of Map Revision will result in:

1. Establishment of Base Flood Elevations (Zone AE) and flood depths (Zone AO). Currently the flooding landward of Zone VE along the Burien shoreline is based on an approximate study. Properties are not regulated according to A Zone regulations landward from the extent of the AE or AO Zone.
2. Widening and narrowing of the 1% annual chance floodplain with the maximum widening of 40 feet at a point approximately 330 ft west of Maplewild Avenue Southwest near Southwest 156th Street, and the maximum narrowing of 160 feet approximately 70 feet southwest of 30th Avenue Southwest near Seola Beach Drive Southwest.
3. Decreasing by 3.5 feet the 1% annual chance water-surface elevation relative to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum shown on the effective Flood Insurance Rate Map for most properties, and decreasing by 5.5 ft the 1% annual chance water-surface elevation relative to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum at a location approximately 1200 feet west of Maplewild Avenue Southwest at Southwest 154th Street. No increase in 1% annual chance water-surface elevation results from this revision.

This notice is to inform you of the establishment of base flood elevations and revision of the 1% annual chance floodplain on properties at the Burien shoreline.

Availability of Technical Information:
The technical report supporting the proposed changes can be viewed at http://www.burienwa.gov/index.aspx?nid=920. Maps can be viewed at Burien City Hall, 400 Southwest 152nd Street, Suite 300, Burien, WA 98166, from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. week days.

For More InformationPlease Contact:
If you need more information about the proposed revisions or their effect on your property please contact the City of Burien Department of Community Development at (206) 248-5510 or via e-mail to susanc@burienwa.gov.

David adds:

This was near 12100 East Marginal Way, just north of Metro Transit’s south base (see map below). When the river started rising it caught the corner of the boat and little by little it got pulled under. This boat was moored via tether off of private land.

The Duwamish is fed by the Green River, which this week reached a Phase 3 Flood Stage, according to the USGS.
View Larger Map

On Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010, Miller Creek flooded and closed Shorebrook Drive near The Cove in Normandy Park. Part of the overflow rushed through the front yard of this house. Photo by Scott Schaefer.

Both the National Weather Service and King County have issued “Flood Watch” warnings for this weekend, as “bouts of heavy rain and warm temperatures could send water over roadways” through Sunday afternoon, Jan. 16th.

“A series of warm and wet weather systems will give periods of locally heavy rain,” reads the NWS warning. “These systems are fast moving… but each one will be tapped into sub-tropical moisture originating from the central Pacific. Each system will likely produce 1 to 3 inch rainfall amounts in the mountains. Freezing levels will also rise to around 8000 feet today and to around 9000 feet by Sunday.”

As you may recall, the last time we had any similar flood warnings was the weekend of Dec. 11-12th, when the Burien area was hit hard by a torrential deluge courtesy the same “Pineapple Express,” causing flooding of area creeks as well as a mudslide near Three Tree Point (read our previous coverage and see photos of that here).

Here’s the Weather Whizzes’ latest warning, issued at 5:56am Friday, Jan. 14th:

… Flood Watch remains in effect from 10 am PST this morning through Sunday afternoon…

The Flood Watch continues for

• portions of western Washington… including the following counties… Grays Harbor… Clallam… Jefferson… Skagit… Whatcom… King… Lewis… Mason… Pierce… Snohomish… Thurston.
• a series of warm and wet weather systems will give periods of locally heavy rain. These systems are fast moving… but each one will be tapped into sub-tropical moisture originating from the central Pacific. Each system will likely produce 1 to 3 inch rainfall amounts in the mountains. Freezing levels will also rise to around 8000 feet today and to around 9000 feet by Sunday.
• All rivers are expected to see rises starting today. The first river that will see the potential for flooding will be the Skokomish River in Mason County this afternoon. Portions of the lower Snohomish and lower Chehalis river basins could also approach flood stage late today or tonight. After a lull in the heavier rains tonight and the first part of Saturday… another wetter system if forecast to move onshore late Saturday and Saturday night. With the added rains from this system… more rivers may approach flood stage Sunday and into Monday. Since the systems will be accompanied by breaks in the precipitation… it appears that most flooding… if it occurs… will be minor.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…

A Flood Watch means conditions are favorable for flooding but flooding is not imminent or occurring. Monitor the latest forecasts from the National Weather Service and be ready to act quickly if flooding is observed or a warning is issued.

And here’s King County’s warning:

Bouts of heavy rain and warm temperatures could send water over roadways

With one wet weather system after the other projected to move through the area over the next few days, the King County Road Services Division is advising motorists to be on the lookout for a variety of road-related problems.

The National Weather Service is advising the public that rain combined with warm temperatures will cause some rivers to rise in Western Washington, which could impact roads in lowland areas. Given ground saturation, motorists should also watch for water runoff and debris on local roads, especially in areas prone to landslides.

Minor flooding on the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers has already prompted two road closures near Carnation – West Snoqualmie River Road NE. between NE. 24th St. and NE. Tolt Hill Road and SE. 24th St. at 309th Ave. SE. If continued rain causes rivers to rise further, road crews will begin patrolling roads in low-lying areas that are particularly vulnerable to flooding.

Residents are reminded that it can take a couple of days or more for water to recede from flooded roads before they can be inspected for damage and safely reopened. So motorists should identify alternative travel routes to reach their destination if they plan on traveling in flood-prone areas over the next few days.

Motorists are also reminded never to driver around road closure signs or through deep standing water. Driving through flood water can cause your vehicle to stall or make you lose control, which can have life-threatening consequences.

Homeowners can help reduce the impact of heavy rain by making sure storm drains around their property are free of debris and are draining properly.

Residents who spot problems on roads maintained by King County should report them by calling the Road Services Division’s 24-hour help line at (206) 296-8100 or 1-800 KC ROADS. You can also sign up for King County Road Alerts online.

The much-anticipated “Pineapple Express” torrential “river” of rain hit the Burien area hard over the weekend, causing local flooding of creeks, a landslide, newly-formed ponds in residential backyards and a soaking wet day for anyone who dared venture outside.

Here’s what we’ve learned (as of Sunday, Dec. 12th at 12:45pm 3pm):

• Southcenter Blvd. in Tukwila was closed to traffic in both directions at I-5 Sunday afternoon due to water over the roadway. Fast work from crews and the subsiding rain allowed Southcenter Blvd to re-open around 3pm.  All lanes of Southcenter Blvd AND the off-ramp from Southbound I-5 are NOW OPEN. 

• A landslide happened in the 2400 block of SW 172nd, near Three Tree Point; according to KING5.com: “…a mudslide sent a beam into a home in the 2400 block of SW 172nd. Firefighters helped three people out of the home. Fortunately, no one was injured.” We could see no evidence of the slide from the road, although we’ve received confirmation of it as well as this pic:

• Miller and Walker Creeks have overflowed in Normandy Park. Roads around The Cove have been closed (see pics below).
• According to the National Weather Service, Sea-Tac Airport on Saturday set a record for rainfall for the date with 1.42 inches, breaking the old mark for Dec. 11 of 1.32 inches, which was set in 1955.
• Reports are that the rain will begin to taper down as the day progresses, but don’t let that fool you – remember, water has to go somewhere, and it’s likely that a lot more will fall, and/or appear as rivers and creeks fill up.
• The land under our feet is very saturated as well, and the Weather Service issued the following Advisory at 1:30am Sunday morning (Dec. 12th), warning of landslides:

… Heavy rainfall overnight and today will lead to increased risk of landslides in western Washington…

Heavy rains of up to 2 inches over the western Washington lowlands since noon Saturday… and up to 4 inches in the mountains… have increased soil wetness to high levels around western Washington. Heavy rain will continue today and tonight… with another 1 to 2 inches over The Lowlands and another 2 to 6 inches over the mountains.

This amount of rain will result in soil instability. Cumulative rainfall over the last three weeks have soaked soils to the point where they are above the U.S.G.S. Landslide index.

When cumulative rainfall over the previous 3 days and previous 18 days exceed the U.S.G.S. Cumulative threshold index… rainfall induced landslides are possible during intense rainfall or when rainfall amounts exceed two inches in 24 hours. A diminishing risk of landslides will continue for several days after today.

At least two landslides have already been reported during this heavy rain episode… one along Chuckanut drive in the north interior and another near Vancouver Washington.

While the U.S.G.S. Rainfall thresholds apply to the Seattle area… most of The Lowlands of western Washington are susceptible to landslides due to wet soils. Areas most susceptible to landslides under these conditions are steep coastal Bluffs and other steep hillsides. For more information about current conditions… see the following internet web pages:

Http://www.Wrh.NOAA.Gov/sew

http://landslides.USGS.Gov/monitoring/Seattle/rtd/plot.Php

Weather.Gov/Seattle

Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer managed to get out and take some pics this morning, and in-between toweling the camera off and avoiding flooded roads, took these photos (if you have any pics you’d like to share with our Readers, please email us):

The road leading to The Cove in Normandy Park was closed where Miller Creek overflowed.

A Resident walks through the overflowing Miller Creek as a Normandy Park Police Officer surveys the scene.

The front yard of a house listed "For Sale" near Miller Creek in Normandy Park has become a makeshift river detour as floodwaters surged.

From our observations, it appears that the house is not being flooded due to strategic placement of sandbags and barriers.

Where Walker Creek flows into its outlet at The Cove, the level is so high that the bridges are almost under water.

And here are some Reader pics sent to us (if you have any, please email us and we’ll post):

This first batch is from Miles Partmen, who lives on 22nd Ave S. in the newly-annexed part of Burien; he says:

My pond overflowed. This is no dinky pond, this is a huge pond!

The pond is 16 by 10 feet and 4 feet deep, and it’s 7 inches above flood stage.

It is groundwater flooding and we are on top of a hill.

This is the first time my pond has flooded I’m in the newly-annexed part of Burien:

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a “Flood Watch” weather advisory, effective from Saturday afternoon (Dec. 11th) through Monday afternoon (Dec. 13th).

Between 1 to 3 inches of rain are being predicted for western Washington lowlands, so you may want to take some precautionary measures like clearing nearby storm drains or placing sandbags if you have an area prone to flooding.

Here’s the full statement, released at 4:16am on Friday, Dec. 10th:

… Flood Watch in effect from Saturday afternoon through Monday afternoon…

* Flood Watch for portions of western Washington… including the following counties… Grays Harbor… Clallam… island… Jefferson… San Juan… Skagit… Whatcom… King… Kitsap… Lewis… Mason… Pierce… Snohomish… Thurston.

* From Saturday afternoon through Monday afternoon

* heavy rain… accompanied by snow levels around 8000 feet… will develop Saturday night and continue through Sunday night. At this time it is impossible to say exactly how much rain will fall and what places will get the most rain. Generally speaking… storm totals of 1 to 3 inches are likely for the western Washington lowlands… with 3 to 8 inches over the mountains. A Flood Watch is in effect for every County in western Washington.

* Some rivers seem certain to flood… including the skokomish in Mason County… the tolt in King County… and the Puyallup river near Orting in Pierce County. The flood potential on other rivers depends on where exactly the heaviest rain falls.

* Rivers facing at least a moderate threat of flooding include the Satsop and Chehalis rivers in Lewis and Grays Harbor counties…the Nooksack Skagit stillaguamish Snohomish Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers flowing off the north Cascades… and the Deschutes Cowlitz and Skookumchuck flowing off the central Cascades.

* Even small streams could overflow their banks if rain is heavy enough. Urban flooding where drainage is poor is also a possibility.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…

A Flood Watch means conditions are favorable for flooding but flooding is not imminent or occurring. Monitor the latest forecasts from the National Weather Service and be ready to act quickly if flooding is observed or a warning is issued.

The National Weather Service issued an unusual Advisory Monday (Jan. 18th) – this one for a “minor tidal overflow” that will be in effect for Puget Sound Tuesday morning and possibly again Wednesday morning.

According to the report, “very high astronomical tides combined with lower than normal atmospheric pressures” as well as high winds may cause some flooding.

So, if you live near the shoreline and your street/yard/area has a tendency to flood, you might want to put out some sandbags just in case.

Here’s the actual advisory:

… Coastal Flood Advisory for minor tidal overflow is in effect for Puget Sound and the north interior from 5 am to 11 am PST Tuesday…

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a coastal Flood Advisory for minor tidal overflow from Puget Sound to the north interior… which is in effect from 5 am to 11 am PST Tuesday.

Minor tidal overflow may occur along some of the shorelines and nearby low-lying areas around Puget Sound and the north interior Tuesday morning… around the time of high tide. Minor tidal overflow is caused by very high astronomical tides combined with lower than normal atmospheric pressures. The Table below shows time of high tide for areas around Puget Sound… along with the normal tide table value and the expected total tide.

Time of tide table expected expected location high tide value anomaly total tide

• Seattle 7:30 am 12.2 ft 1.6 ft 13.8 ft
• Port Townsend 7:06 am 9.1 ft 1.8 ft 10.9 ft
• Bellingham 8:12 am 9.6 ft 1.9 ft 11.5 ft

Minor tidal overflow problems usually begin at 13.5 feet around Seattle and 11.5 feet around Bellingham… and the current forecasts for those areas just meet or exceed those levels. In addition… the atmospheric pressure could be a little lower than forecast… and local winds may cause water to pile up along shorelines more than expected… possibly higher than the expected total tide values. Southeast winds 20 to 30 knots are forecast over the northern inland waters Tuesday morning as another deep low pressure system moves northward offshore. Winds over the waters of Puget Sound are expected to be south 10 to 20 knots Tuesday morning.

Another very high astronomical tide will occur Wednesday morning. The forecast tides for Wednesday morning are slightly lower than for Tuesday… but computer model forecasts indicate the anomaly will still be large enough so that minor tidal overflow problems remain a possibility.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…

Minor tidal over flow can cause local flooding along shorelines and nearby low-lying areas.