By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Randle area Fire Chief Jeff Jaques said the Cowlitz River at Randle is dropping slowly and he expects it will be a few hours before the closed roads will reopen.
The river level was just over 20 feet at 7 a.m. today.
The National Weather Service reports the river crested at just over 22 feet yesterday. Flood stage is 18 feet.
Jaques said it has been a fairly uneventful weekend of just monitoring the river.
U.S. Highway 12 just east of the intersection with state Route 131 was closed, and a detour put in place on Silverbrook Road. State Route 131 which leads out towards Cispus was closed as well.
“We didn’t get a single call for anyone wanting to be rescued” or any emergency calls, Jaques said this morning.
Most people in the area have been through it before and know how to deal with flooding, he said.
“I think that big flood in 2006 got everyone’s attention,” Jaques said.
In November 2006 the Cowlitz River rose to just over 25 feet, some seven feet beyond its flood stage, causing major damage to the community.