King County issues flood alert for Cedar River

According to the National Weather Service's hydrologic prediction services, flood stage for the Cedar River is 13 feet. As of 9 a.m. Monday, the river was measured at 12.35 feet, but is predicted to begin receding slightly through the afternoon.

The King County Flood Warning Center has issued a Phase II flood alert for the Cedar River, where minor flooding could be expected.

As of 6:15 a.m. Monday, March 10, the Cedar River at Landsburg recorded a flow of 2,900 cubic feet per second (CFS), slightly higher than the 2,800 CFS threshold for a Phase II flood alert. At these flows, minor flooding could be expected in low-lying areas along the Cedar River, including possible water over Jones Road near 156th Place Southeast.

A flood alert means conditions are right for the possibility of flooding, but one is yet to occur.

According to the National Weather Service’s hydrologic prediction services, flood stage for the Cedar River is 13 feet. As of 9 a.m. Monday, the river was measured at 12.35 feet, but is predicted to begin receding slightly through the afternoon.

The Flood Warning Center, which has been open since 12:30 a.m. on March 9, continues to monitor additional minor flooding on other river systems.

The Flood Warning Center will remain open as long as flood conditions persist. Flood Warning Center staff will monitor stream gages and weather reports, and will provide updated information on river conditions as necessary. Real-time river level information is available online at kingcounty.gov/flood.

King County offers everyone free access to KC Flood Alerts, an automated system that allows subscribers to receive customized alerts of potential flooding for any or all of King County’s six major river systems.

Immediate notifications about pending high water are sent to email, smart phone text or voicemail, providing subscribers with the maximum amount of warning about potential high water.

Find the KC Flood Alerts link at kingcounty.gov/flood. This website is a valuable preparedness resource, with all of the latest information about river levels and road conditions, plus weather reports and other critical links.

Updated information on flooding will also be posted on the King County website at kingcounty.gov, and via RPIN, the area’s regional emergency information website at rpin.org.

During river flooding events, King County serves as a clearinghouse for information on flood conditions, operating a recorded message center with continuous updates of river gage readings and flood phases and other related information. Reach the Flood Warning Center at 206-296-8200 or 1-800-945-9263. Interpreter assistance in multiple languages is available.

Questions or assistance with flooding on smaller streams or urban drainage problems can be called in to 206-296-1900 during business hours, or 206-296-8100 after hours or on weekends.

Problems on County maintained roads can be reported by calling 206-296-8100 or 1-800-KC-ROADS.