The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, is running its Reservoir Control Center 24 hours per day and put its Emergency Operations Center into operation Dec. 7 to respond to heavy rains and high coastal waves.
“The Corps has sent out its Skagit, Snohomish, Olympic, and Chehalis flood teams and continues to communicate with other local counties and emergency managers,” said Doug Weber, Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Emergency Management Branch Chief.
The Corps operates dams in the White/Puyallup, Green/Duwamish, Skagit and Wynoochee basins for flood risk reduction. The Corps is operating Wynoochee, Ross, and Upper Baker dams for flood control, holding down outflows to reduce the risk of downstream flooding.
While releases from Mud Mountain Dam are expected to stay below flood stage, the Corps has sent out river spotters to monitor conditions because of the unpredictability of channel capacity in the Pacific and Sumner areas on the White River.
Reservoir data from Corps reservoirs are available on line at:
http://www.nwd-wc.usace.army.mil/nws/hh/www/index.html
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.
Release no. 15-050