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Monday morning headlines

Flooding near Granite Falls, Snohomish County, on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010. Most rivers are receding today, but officials are keeping an eye on the Snohomish River, which will crest at near record levels Monday.
Twitpic/PeterM_KOMO
Flooding near Granite Falls, Snohomish County, on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010. Most rivers are receding today, but officials are keeping an eye on the Snohomish River, which will crest at near record levels Monday.

Floods and mudslides follow heavy rains, commuters can expect delays, and Seattle counts the landslides.

Pineapple Express Aftermath

Heavy weekend rains left flooding rivers and causes mudslides around Western Washington. There were some evacuation warnings for people along the Stillaguamish River  near Arlington as the river rose above its banks.  

Check out this video taken along the south fork of the Stillaguamish River on Sunday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPs-Ggmk6JA

The Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers in east King County are cresting, and they're feeding the Snohomish River.

Officials are keeping a close eye as that river reaches near record-flood levels today, according to the Herald of Everett. Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon made an emergency declaration, the first step in calling for federal emergency aid.  

Sewage overflows were reported throughout King County, including a day-long spillage into Lake Washington near Medina, according to The Seattle Times. Meadowbrook Park and Carkeek Park in Seattle also had sewage overflow. 

 

Commutes Affected

Amtrak Cascades and Sounder train serviceis disrupted as mudslides covered rail lines. No word on when regular service will be restored, as the threat of more mudslides continues, even though the heaviest rains have passed.

 

Seattle on Landslide Alert

In the Seattle area, heavy rains have also increased the risk of landslides. Seattle Public Utilities has activated its Urban Flooding Response Plan – sending out extra drainage crews and observers to at-risk neighborhoods. And Seattle Parks and Recreation Department says it’s received reports of multiple slides on the parks' property.

This morning Seattle Parks crews will be out along West Marginal Way where there were more mudslides overnight, compromising tall trees along the roadway. Yesterday a tree came down over in the area.

Authorities urge people in land-slide prone areas to:  Inspect sloping areas for indications of slope movement, check downspouts, make sure that your irrigation system is shut off, and keep fill and yard waste off slopes.

 

Rainfall Records

The pineapple express