The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for portions of Western Washington that will be in effect from Saturday afternoon through Monday afternoon.
According to the NWS Alert, “Heavy rain, accompanied by snow levels around 8,000 feet, will develop Saturday night and continue through Sunday night. At this time it is impossible to say exactly how much rain will fall and what places will get the most rain. Generally speaking, storm totals of 1 to 3 inches are likely for the Western Washington lowlands, with 3 to 8 Inches over the mountains. A Flood Watch is in effect for every county in Western Washington.”
The Alert lists several rivers in Mason, King and Pierce counties that “seem certain to flood.” The Stillaguamish River in Snohomish County is listed as “facing at least a moderate threat of flooding.”
A Flood Watch means conditions are favorable for flooding but flooding is not imminent or occurring. Residents are encouraged to monitor the latest forecasts from the National Weather Service and be ready to act quickly if flooding is observed or a Warning is issued.
Residents encouraged to join emergency alert system
Residents interested in receiving up-to-date emergency notifications from Snohomish County are encouraged to sign up for its emergency management alert system.
Snohomish County’s Department of Emergency Management, in coordination with the county’s 911 Call Centers is opening public enrollment in the county’s MyStateUSA Alert Sense System. DEM periodically uses the alert system to warn residents of weather alerts and other pertinent safety information as needed.
Residents can choose to receive alerts by e-mail, text message and telephone calls. To subscribe, go to http://snohomishcountywa.mystateusa.com and click on the “Public Alert Sign Up” link in the top left corner.
This alert system enhances public agencies’ ability to warn of hazardous weather and other emergency situations affecting the Snohomish County area. Additionally, the system allows individuals without landline phone service to link their address to their cell phone to receive notifications affecting their registered location.
Citizens with internet access or cell phones can subscribe for times they are away from home or without access to other notification systems. Emergency information will simultaneously be posted on the website when an alert is issued.
DEM provides emergency management services to unincorporated parts of the county, the cities of Arlington, Darrington, Gold Bar, Granite Falls, Index, Lake Stevens, Marysville, Snohomish, Stanwood, Sultan, and the Tulalip and Stillaguamish Tribal Communities. SNOCOM 911 and SNOPAC 911 are the two public safety 9-1-1 communications centers serving all communities within Snohomish County.
The alert system is a partnership between Snohomish County and MyStateUSA, an Idaho-based provider of public warning technologies. The system allows local public safety agencies to seamlessly activate public warning systems and share information securely among responder agencies.
