Snoqualmie River spills over banks; families prepare for wet weekend



FALL CITY, Wash. – Families living in the Snoqualmie Valley watched and waited as the Snoqualmie River pushed above flood stage Friday.

The river ran high and fast; it was filled with debris and conditions are only expected to worsen.

“It has been a while since I’ve seen it this full,” said Tonya Guinn, who watched the swollen Snoqualmie Falls. “It’s huge.”

The water began creeping higher and higher, covering low-lying roads by early Friday afternoon.

“It’s gone up much quicker than I’ve seen it in several years,” said neighbor Matt Tregoning.

King County road crews closed roads and put up signs to alert drivers.

Some heeded the warnings and turned around to find another route. Eric Conner was trying to reach Carnation.

“This is a lot earlier that usual,” said Conner. “Because there’s like no snow in the mountains.”

“We’re coming off a flood from a couple weeks ago,” said Tregoning. “We weren’t really expecting this.”

Tregoning’s farm, Sol to Seed, sits in the direct path of the river. Now there’s a rush to harvest what he can before the water ruins what’s left on the ground.

“Frustrating,” he said, “but it’s also part of living here. If you’re going to farm, you’re going to farm the Snoqualmie Valley.”

The Snoqualmie River is not expected to crest until Saturday afternoon.