FILE PHOTO — Vehicles drive on Interstate 5 near milepost 82 in Centralia.
Road closure signs block Moon Road in Rochester Tuesday afternoon.
Road closure signs block Moon Road in Rochester Tuesday afternoon.
The Skookumchuck river water rises over a park bench near Bucoda on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020 as fast currents sweep tree limbs away.
Trees reflect off flood waters from the Skookumchuckin early January, 2020 in Bucoda.
The Skookumchuck river water rises over a park bench near Bucoda on Tuesday as fast currents sweep tree limbs away.
Alan Vanell, former Bucoda City Council Member, talks about the history of flooding in the area Tuesday afternoon.
The Skookumchuck river water rises near Bucoda on Tuesday as fast currents sweep plant debris away.
The Skookumchuck floods Schaeffer Park in Centralia in early January, 2020.
The Skookumchuck floods Schaeffer Park in Centralia on Tuesday.
A National Weather Service flood warning was lifted for much of Lewis and Thurston counties after flood waters receded Tuesday, but was still in effect as of Wednesday morning for areas including Bucoda, Grand Mound and Porter, in eastern Grays Harbor County.
“No hydrologically significant precipitation in the forecast for the next two days. Another front will arrive on Friday but snow levels will be low, below 2000 feet, keeping the precipitation in the
form of snow in the mountains limiting runoff into the rivers,” according to the NWS report.
The Chehalis River at Grand Mound rose to flood stage Tuesday and was still hovering just below moderate flood stage Wednesday morning, but was expected to begin receding later in the day.
A gauge at Bucoda showed the Skookumchuck River at minor flood level Tuesday morning with projections showing it will continue to rise to moderate flood levels — about two feet above flood stage — according to the National Weather Service.
By Wednesday, the Skookumchuck had dropped below flood stage at Bucoda and was expected to continue to drop.
The Chehalis River at Porter in Grays Harbor County was just below flood stage as of 9 a.m. Tuesday, and was in the minor flood state Wednesday morning. It is expected to stay in the minor flood level until late Thursday.
The flood warning also covered the Newaukum River at Chehalis. As of Tuesday morning, the river had apparently crested just below moderate flood levels and was falling.
Floodwaters were expected to close area roads and might impact some residential areas.
The National Weather Service is reminding residents to not drive cars, vans or trucks through flooded areas.
“(T)his is the cause of most flood related deaths in Washington,” a news release states.
For more information, go to weather.gov, rivers.lewiscountywa.gov, or roads.lewiscountywa.gov
