This was updated at 12:30 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Fire department crews are going door to door in low-lying areas of Randle this morning and advising residents to evacuate, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
In Packwood, the fire department is advising citizens to monitor the level of the Cowlitz River themselves and be prepared to evacuate if necessary, the sheriff’s office reports.
A flood warning was issued last night for the Cowlitz River which forecast major flooding in the Randle area and moderate flooding in Packwood.
The current forecast is the river could crest in Randle at almost 24 feet around 4 o’clock tomorrow morning, but water is expected to cover U.S. Highway 12 in that area by this afternoon or early evening, according to the sheriff’s office and the National Weather Service.
The river floods in Randle at 18 feet and it was at about that level at 9:30 this morning, according to the weather service.
Flood stage in Packwood is 10.5 feet and the river reached about that level around 11:15 a.m. today. It is predicted to crest about one foot higher around 10 p.m. tonight.
The sheriff’s office cautions citizens to be safe and not drive through standing water.
In the November 2006 flooding around Randle and Packwood, a man drowned after driving his truck through water which swept it and him away.
The Lewis County Emergency Operations Center is set to open this afternoon as officials prepare for anticipated flooding.
The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings in several counties, including Lewis, Thurston, Pierce, King, Snohomish, Pacific, Yakima and eastern Grays Harbor counties.
A flood watch on the Newaukum River near Chehalis was upgraded at 9:40 a.m. today to a flood warning.
Heavy rain over the southern Washington Cascade Mountains overnight and today will drive the Newaukum over flood stage later today which will likely continue into tomorrow, the weather service reports.
Minor flooding is expected.
The current prediction is the Newaukum will crest near 11.7 feet – about a foot over flood stage of 10.5 feet – around 10 p.m. tonight.
At 10.5 feet, flood waters will inundate many roads, residential and commercial areas along the Newaukum and its forks. Some areas may be deep and hazardous, the weather service cautions.
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Continuously updated conditions, warnings and forecasts in more detail can be found from the National Weather Service’s website by clicking on “Weather forecasts” and “River levels” beneath “Other useful web links” on the right hand side of Lewis County Sirens pages.