Warning Description: Areal Flood Warning

Warning Date: 10:42 PM PST on January 6, 2009

WarningSum:


Warning Message:The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a
* Flood Warning for urban areas and small streams in the following
  western Washington counties...
  Jefferson County...
  Lewis County...
  Pierce County...
  Thurston County...
  Grays Harbor County...
* until 1045 am PST Thursday.
* At 1039 PM PST very heavy rainfall rates of one half to one inch 
per hour were occuring across the area. Additionally...major 
flooding is forecast to occur on some rivers in the area. Small 
streams in the affected area will rise rapidly this evening. 
A Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or has been reported.
Most flood deaths occur in automobiles. Never drive your vehicle into
areas where the water covers the roadway. When encountering flooded 
roads...turn around...dont drown.
Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause elevated levels on
small creeks and streams...and ponding of water on country roads and 
farmland along the banks of creeks and streams. Snow melt in the 
Olympics may also contribute to flooding.
Lat...Lon 4679 12337 4679 12411 4696 12382 4693 12417
      4788 12459 4787 12296 4814 12277 4803 12273
      4811 12270 4810 12269 4768 12278 4760 12350
      4708 12349 4710 12269 4740 12254 4709 12140
      4640 12139 4639 12140 4638 12336
Mercer
weather.Gov/Seattle
944 PM PST Tue Jan 6 2009
The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a
* Flood Warning for the following western Washington counties...
  Clallam County...
  Mason County...
* until 945 am PST Thursday.
* At 938 PM PST very heavy rainfall rates of one half to one inch 
per hour were occuring across Clallam and Mason counties. 
Additionally...major flooding is forecast to occur on some rivers in 
the area. Small streams in the affected area will rise rapidly this 
evening. 
A Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or has been reported.
Most flood deaths occur in automobiles. Never drive your vehicle into
areas where the water covers the roadway. When encountering flooded 
roads...turn around...dont drown.
Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause elevated levels on
small creeks and streams...and ponding of water on country roads and
farmland along the banks of creeks and streams.
Lat...Lon 4839 12476 4817 12404 4811 12325 4818 12311
      4803 12301 4810 12292 4784 12295 4752 12280
      4736 12280 4740 12282 4728 12292 4718 12286
      4721 12293 4708 12309 4708 12348 4726 12350
      4760 12350 4761 12308 4787 12309 4788 12462
Mercer
weather.Gov/Seattle
924 PM PST Tue Jan 06 2009
The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a 
* Flood Warning for 
  the Skokomish River near Potlatch
* from Wednesday morning to late Thursday night.
* At  8:45 PM Tuesday the stage was 13.5 feet.
* Flood stage is 16.0 feet.
* Major flooding is forecast.
* Forecast...the river will rise above flood stage around 8 am 
  Wednesday and crest near 17.0 feet around 4 am Thursday. 
* Impact...at 16.8 feet...the Skokomish River will cause major 
  flooding...with deep and quick flood waters inundating some 
  residential areas...many roads including US 101 and sr 106...and 
  much of The Farm land in the Skokomish Valley.   Flooding will 
  occur all along the river including headwaters...tributaries...and 
  other streams within and near the Skokomish River basin.
Felton
weather.Gov/Seattle
Warning Description: Areal Flood Watch

Warning Date: 4:37 PM PST on January 6, 2009

WarningSum:...Flood Watch Remains In Effect From 10 Pm Pst This Evening
Through Friday Afternoon...

Warning Message:The Flood Watch continues for
* portions of western Washington...including the following 
  counties... Grays Harbor...Clallam...Jefferson...Skagit...
  Whatcom...King...Kitsap...Lewis...Mason...Pierce...Snohomish...
  Thurston.
* From 10 PM PST this evening through Friday afternoon
* a warm and moist stream of air will continue to bring heavy rain
  to the mountains through Thursday morning. Snow levels will be
  7000 feet over the Olympics and 5500 feet over the Cascades...so
  most of the precipitation in the mountains will be in the form
  of rain. Storm total rainfall amounts from today through Thursday
  morning are expected to be on the order of 3 to 6 inches in The
  Lowlands...and 10 to 15 inches in the mountains... with the
  rainiest southwest facing slopes receiving up to 20 inches.
* The focus of the rainfall at first will be in the north
  Cascades. By Wednesday afternoon heavier rain could be falling
  over southwest Washington. The Olympics and central Cascades
  will likely get heavy rain off and on through the whole event.
* The excessive rainfall could drive many area rivers above 
  flood stage...with some rivers possibly experiencing major 
  flooding. The heavy rains could also lead to some urban and 
  small stream flooding. 
Precautionary/preparedness actions...
A Flood Watch means conditions are favorable for flooding but
flooding is not imminent or occurring. Monitor the latest
forecasts from the National Weather Service...and be ready to act
quickly if flooding is observed or a warning is issued.
Burke
Warning Description: Wind Advisory

Warning Date: 8:37 PM PST on January 6, 2009

WarningSum:...Wind Advisory Remains In Effect Until 10 Am Pst Wednesday...

Warning Message:A Wind Advisory remains in effect until 10 am PST Wednesday for
the east Puget Sound lowlands...Hood Canal area...Everett and Seattle
areas.
A strong storm which is bringing heavy rain to the mountains is
also causing strong winds across the urban corridor from Tacoma
northward to Everett including the Seattle area. Expect sustained
south winds of 20 to 30 with gusts to 45 mph. These winds will
continue off and on through the night and diminish Wednesday
morning.
Precautionary/preparedness actions...
A Wind Advisory is issued when sustained winds of 30 to 39 mph or
gusts of 45 to 57 mph are likely. Winds this strong can snap
small tree branches...topple small or shallow-rooted trees...and
cause local power outages.
Warning Description: Special Weather Statement

Warning Date: 10:53 am PST on January 6, 2009

WarningSum:...Heavy Rain To Dramatically Increase Risk For Rainfall Induced
Landslides... 

Warning Message:Previous rainfall amounts have been around two to three inches in
the Seattle area over the past 18 days. This has resulted in
moderate levels of soil moisture around western Washington. Heavy
rainfall of nearly two inches in 24 hours and over three inches in
48 hours is expected this afternoon through Wednesday night. This
amount of rain will put extra pressure on soil instability leading
to an increased risk of landslides in slide prone areas. A
diminishing risk of landslides will continue for several days
after the rain ends.
The slow melt of the snow that has fallen over the last couple of weeks
has had an additional soil wetting effect. In areas outside of
Seattle...storm total rainfall could be 3 to 8 inches in The
Lowlands and 10 to 20 inches in the mountains. For these reasons
the landslide risk is higher than the USGS charts would suggest.
The amount of rainfall forecast in 24 hours...on top of
the cumulative rainfall over the last three weeks...will push
western Washington soils to the point where they are above the
USGS landslide index. When cumulative rainfall exceeds the USGS
landslide cumulative threshold index...rainfall induced landslides
are possible during intense rainfall or when rainfall amounts
exceed two inches in 24 hours.
While the USGS rainfall thresholds were designed for the Seattle
area of the Puget Sound...most of The Lowlands of western
Washington are similarly susceptible to landslides caused by wet
soils. Areas most susceptible to landslides under these conditions
are steep coastal Bluffs and other steep hillsides.
For more information about current conditions...visit
www.Weather.Gov/Seattle...select hydrology...and then scroll down
for the link to the USGS landslide information Page.