Rare Flood

[trikerider]

I live in Ellensburg and woke up to this, its only the third time its happened in the 25 years we have lived here.

 

[CleElum Sledhead]

Me thinks there is more to come.

Here in the Teanaway east of Cle Elum, it has been raining steady since yesterday afternoon. This morning the Teanaway River is running fast and muddy. Not sure if it will flood as bad as earlier this spring or not.

 

[Lake Cle Elum]

That's impressive for Ellensburg, a town that only gets 8.5 inches a year....

Some of us were gonna ride Reecer yesterday (Sat), saw the flood warnings and aborted. Looks like the Monday KTM ride might not happen either?

Dave - Stay high and dry in the Teanaway.

 

[xpspenziv]

grab a lure.

 

[kartorium]

I live in West Ellensburg right now, so far it's not too bad, just some big puddles. Luckily our house is pretty new and looks as if the lot was built up a ways before pouring the foundation so we haven't been close to flooding yet. We had one round already where I couldn't drive in or out of my house though, all I have right now is a subaru and mitsubishi and they just aren't high enough.

Trikerider, is that a storm drain issue there? Looks like that is off 18th st, I think I remember that area flooding once in the past 10 yrs or so. (I lived up north for a couple years and traveled that street often)

 

[CleElum Sledhead]

Dave - Stay high and dry in the Teanaway.

Thanks Bob. Will try and do so.

As you know, Fri and Sat were sweet. I have about 3/4 of next winter's wood cut. split and stacked.

Current alert from a few minutes ago.

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1055 AM PDT SUN MAY 15 2011
KLICKITAT WA-YAKIMA WA-KITTITAS WA-
1055 AM PDT SUN MAY 15 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PENDLETON HAS EXTENDED THE

* FLOOD WARNING FOR URBAN AREAS AND SMALL STREAMS IN...
KITTITAS COUNTY IN CENTRAL WASHINGTON...
WESTERN KLICKITAT COUNTY IN CENTRAL WASHINGTON...
WESTERN YAKIMA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON...

* UNTIL 130 PM PDT MONDAY

* AT 1045 AM PDT LIGHT RAIN CONTINUED ACROSS THE EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 0.25 TO 0.50 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY MONDAY.

THE VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS HAS CAUSED RAPID RISES IN CREEKS AND STREAMS. FLOODING WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE AS THE WATER DRAINS FROM SMALLER STEAMS AND CREEKS INTO THE MAINSTEM RIVERS.

SOME AREAS ALREADY SEEING FLOODING OR EXPECTED TO SEE FLOODING INCLUDE THE ELK MEADOWS SUBDIVISION 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF CLE ELUM, LOCATIONS ALONG AHTANUM CREEK...SATUS CREEK AND MANY OTHER CREEKS AND STREAMS WILL LIKELY SEE FLOODING AS WELL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLOOD WARNING MEANS FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS WATER COVERED BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW WATER CROSSINGS. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.

 

[trikerider]

Trikerider, is that a storm drain issue there? Looks like that is off 18th st, I think I remember that area flooding once in the past 10 yrs or so. (I lived up north for a couple years and traveled that street often)

The creek west of us on 18th over runs the culvert and fills it right up. They made a channel over the street so now its up to the storm drains to empty it out, it has gone down a little. I work for the phone company and was just up Manastash, the creek has washed out a power pole and its running wild through some of the property at the mouth of the canyon.

 

[Van Epps]

This one makes 3 on the yakima west of Cle elum this yr. Glad I don't live next to it up there.

 

[trikerider]

Here's the scene this afternoon, some college kids had some fun on the little island in the center of the cul de sac. They had a good time.