NWS Issues Flood Warning

South Bend, Washington – The National Weather Service (NWS) in Portland has issued a flood warning for the following rivers in Pacific County:

·        Willapa River: flood warning is in effect from this evening to Wednesday afternoon. The river is forecast to rise above flood stage around 9:00 p.m. Tuesday and is expected to crest near 22.5 feet around 4:00 a.m. Wednesday. Expect widespread flooding. Historically, numerous roads are flooded with deep and swiftly moving water including Heckard Road and Highway 101. The magnitude of flooding on Highway 101 may be exacerbated by the high tide late Wednesday morning. 

·        Naselle River: flood warning is in effect from this evening to Wednesday morning. The river is forecast to crest just above flood stage around 10:00 p.m. Tuesday. Expect flooding in numerous lowland areas along the Naselle. Historically, water begins to surround homes along and near the river at this point. A few roads are flooded at this level including State Route 4.  

Three to five inches of rain have fallen over the Willapa Hills in Southwest Washington since Monday afternoon. An additional two to three inches of rain are expected Tuesday pushing rivers above flood stage.  

Please visit the NWS website at http://www.weather.gov/portland for the latest river stages and forecasts.  

Precautionary/Preparedness Actions:

Don’t drive into flooded areas. Avoid walking near riverbanks during high water.