Seattle flood warning1/20/2024 ![]() ![]() More than 2,600 homes were flooded, dozens of bridges were lost, an estimated $120 million in damages, and 3 fatalities occurred in Washington. The heavy rain and rapid snowmelt combined to produce record and near-record flooding, mudslides, and avalanches. ![]() In addition to record precipitation in some of the mountainous areas, melting snowpack across the region contributed as much as half of the total runoff in some locations. During the week of February 4-10, warm air and excessive precipitation, typical Atmospheric River conditions, and the resultant snow melt caused widespread flooding that continued into the following week. Furthermore, the ground was frozen or saturated so subsequent rainfall was directed mostly into runoff. A precursor to the event was an extended period of cold temperatures that brought snow to low elevations and created river ice on the east side of the Cascades. The February 1996 flood was one of the most widespread across the whole Pacific Northwest and Washington: 24 of 39 Washington State counties were affected. This flood wiped away Fort Cascade and the town of Cascade, WA, which was never rebuilt. There was a bigger flood on the Columbia River in June of 1894, the record crest of the Columbia reached 1.24 million cgs at the Dalles and 34.4 ft. The flow at the Dalles river gage crested at 1 million cubic feet per second (cfs). The flow at the Methow River, which surpassed its flood stage level of 10 feet, and rose to 12.30. This flood event spurred a move to build more dams and renewed a focus on flood control.Īt the Vancouver river gauge, the Columbia crested on June 13-14 at 31.0 feet above sea level. Much of the business district of Kennewick was underwater and one death was reported there. In Washington, flooding occurred in Vancouver, Kalama, Woodland, Longview, Kennewick, and Richland. Elsewhere in the Columbia Basin, the flood destroyed 5,000 homes, forced some 50,000 people to evacuate and caused an estimated $100 million in damage. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |