The Emergency Operations Center at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers activated Friday and the Snohomish River basin flood team has been active this weekend assisting local communities.
One team is placing armor on about 450 feet of the riverward side of the Union Slough levee to reduce the risk of levee failure and potential flooding of the protected area which includes infrastructure such as I-5, the City of Everett Waste Water Treatment Plant and numerous businesses. Corps flood responders also met with the Town of Index Mayor and provided technical assistance on emergency measures that can be employed along the Skykomish River by the town to reduce flood impacts from this event.
Engineers in the Corps’ Reservoir Control Center are monitoring conditions and are working this weekend to respond to manage heavy inflows to Corps reservoirs. The RCC manages and regulates Mud Mountain and Howard Hanson Dams, both located near Enumclaw. Both reservoirs were near empty before the weather system moved in and have storage space available to greatly reduce the risk of flooding on those rivers.
A flood fight team is also activated for the White/Puyallup River basin and will assess known areas of concern this morning.
Public Law 84-99 enables the Corps to assist state and local authorities in flood fight activities and cost share in the repair of flood protection structures. The purpose is to prevent loss of life and minimize property damage associated with severe weather.
Private citizens seeking sandbags should contact their local government offices.
The National Weather Service issues flood watches and warnings and should be consulted for that information.
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Release no. 17-053