While an official flood watch had not been issued by the National Weather Service as of Thursday evening, the Cowlitz River at Randle is currently predicted to reach minor flood stage as unseasonable downpours continue in the Pacific Northwest.
The latest projections have the river rising rapidly Friday and into Saturday, cresting at 19.21 feet at the Randle gage. That’s considered the minor flooding stage by the National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, but it’s just shy of the moderate flooding designation. Randle Fire and EMS noted in a post on Facebook that the most recent flooding on the Cowlitz March 1 reached 19.52 feet.
“The Cispus River level is also expected to increase by about 2.64' higher than it is now,” Randle Fire and EMS noted. “The Weather Service site does not have any recent historical data for the Cispus nor recent historical data. Flood stages also have not been established for the Cispus.”
Other local rivers are not expected to flood.
The Cowlitz River is among waterways impacted heavily by snowmelt.
“Seasonally unusual heavy rainfall coupled with late snowmelt and runoff will result in sharp rises and fast flows on area rivers with minor flooding possible at a few locations,” the National Weather Service wrote in an advisory. “Crests and flows on rivers could be near record levels for this time of year, and impacts may be exacerbated by enhanced seasonal or agricultural use near some river locations.”
Lewis County Emergency Management reminded residents not to drive through flooded roadways in a Thursday morning Facebook post.
“Here we go again — another atmospheric river expected to hit Western WA today into Friday,” the post stated. “We should not have to be monitoring river gauges for flooding in mid-June, but we are. As of right now it appears the Cowlitz River in Randle is the only one that will really be impacted (Friday into Sunday).”
See river level predictions at https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/forecasts.php?wfo=sew
