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King County
Executive Office
Ron Sims, King County Executive 701 Fifth Ave. Suite 3210 Seattle, WA 98104 Phone: 206-296-4040 Fax: 206-296-0194 TTY Relay: 711
Image: King County Exeutive Ron Sims, News Release

Nov. 6, 2006, 9:45 pm

Snoqualmie Valley tops flood concerns in King County

Widespread road closures will impact Election Day voting on Tuesday

Emergency officials are cautioning residents of the Snoqualmie Valley that widespread flooding and road closures will make travel very uncertain Tuesday morning in and around Duvall, Carnation, Fall City, Snoqualmie and North Bend.

The King County Road Services Division estimates that by early morning there may not be any roads open in and out of the lower valley between Duvall and Fall City.

Valley residents are advised to check with local school districts to make sure schools are open and operating on regular schedules and transportation routes. Commuters should check for road closures before leaving home. Transit information is also available.

More than 24 hours of heavy rains have caused flooding throughout King County. Both the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers surged past the Phase IV flood stages on Monday afternoon, and the flows are remaining high. Localized flooding has also been reported inside many cities, including North Bend where evacuation of the downtown area began earlier this evening.

King County election officials are closely monitoring the flood situation, and will alert voters if regular polling locations will be closed on Tuesday. As of Monday evening, only one --- Snoqualmie Elementary School in Snoqualmie -- was confirmed for closure on Tuesday, but there are other polling places that are located close to flood-prone areas or closed roads. Elections staff will be working tonight and tomorrow morning with local officials to post signs warning voters of any poll closure and routing voters to the proper location.

Voters who cannot access their regular polling place can go to any King County polling location and ask for a provisional ballot. See http://www.metrokc.gov/elections for more information.

King County Executive Ron Sims issued an emergency proclamation Monday afternoon due to the widespread flooding in King County and the forecast for record flooding in the region. The proclamation waives normal contracting procedures and budgetary limits to allow county departments to respond even more quickly to save lives and protect property.

The King County Flood Warning Center continues to monitor river flows throughout the county and provide updates to emergency officials.

For more information about road conditions, visit http://www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/roads/roadalert/ on the internet.

Real-time river level information is available online by visiting: http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/flood/flood.htm. Residents in affected areas can get updated information on flooding on the King County Web site , or can visit RPIN, the area's regional Web site.

A recorded flood-information hotline is also updated each hour for citizens wanting information in flood areas. The number is 206-296-8200 or 1-800-945-9263. Citizens who need help interpreting flood information should call 206-296-4535 or 1-800-768-7932.

The King County Emergency Coordination Center (KCECC) in Renton, Washington has been activated to provide assistance for the ongoing response to the flooding. KCECC will continue to coordinate King County department response operations and assist other governments when requested.

Regular updates will be provided via e-mail and fax. King County Joint Information Center staff can be reached at 206-205-1000.

The King County Joint Information Center will close at 11 p.m. Monday night and reopen at 4 a.m. Tuesday morning.


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  Updated: Nov. 6, 2006