River Flooding Continues With More Rain In The Forecast Friday

SEATTLE, WA — A wild round of weather Thursday brought major flooding to portions of King County, and pushed rivers above flood stage throughout Western Washington. The National Weather Service says we're not out of the woods yet.

More rain is expected through Friday afternoon, ahead of a new system set to arrive Friday night and continue into Saturday. According to NWS forecasters, new rainfall amounts will not be as significant, but saturated soil will continue to pose landslide risks. A flood watch remains in effect until 4 p.m. Friday.

Sound Transit said north line Sounder service would not run Friday morning due to the increased risk of further mudslides.

The City of Issaquah was hit especially hard Thursday after a Phase 4 flood alert was issued for Issaquah Creek, and high waters overtook roads and approached homes. At least 11 people were rescued from three apartment complexes, including several children and two pets.

In Duvall, residents were asked to limit their water use after heavy rains pushed a treatment plant to capacity.

Landslides and flooding hampered travel in several Pierce County towns after four rivers reached flood stages. Road closures were reported in Puyallup, Orting, South Prairie, Bonney Lake, Sumner and elsewhere. Mudslides prompted the closure of several roads leading to Mount Rainier, including State Route 410, which was closed east of Enumclaw until Friday morning.

48-hour rain totals shared Thursday afternoon showed most areas in east King County recorded between 2 and 5 inches of rain. In Pierce County, nearly all areas saw at least 0.5 inches of rain, and portions of Bonney Lake and Orting neared 2 inches of rainfall.

Totals in most areas were likely much higher by Thursday night.

According to NOAA river forecasts, several rivers have yet to crest, and many remain above flood stage, including sections of the Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Tolt, Cedar, White and Puyallup.

The flood warning for the Pilchuck River ended Thursday night, but one continued for the Green River, near Auburn.

NWS Seattle said some rivers should crest during the day Friday and begin to recede.

Forecasters said a dry period was set to begin Sunday and continue into early next week.

A cooler system moving into the region could bring snowfall back to the mountain passes Friday night, along with a few strong wind gusts.

Check the latest road closures in King County, Pierce County and Snohomish County.