Local News

Flash Flood Watch Issued For Okanogan County

Jul 22, 2014

FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA

1253 PM PDT TUE JUL 22 2014

...HEAVY RAINFALL MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING ALONG THE EAST SLOPES
OF THE NORTHERN CASCADES...

.A BAND OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE CASCADES FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON. THIS BAND WILL ALSO CONTAIN SOME EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER RAINFALL RATES POSSIBLE WITH FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORMS
WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING. AREAS OF GREATEST CONCERN WILL BE IN AND AROUND RECENT BURN SCARS FROM WILDFIRES

WAZ041>043-230600-
/O.NEW.KOTX.FF.A.0002.140723T1500Z-140724T0600Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WENATCHEE AREA-EAST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES-OKANOGAN VALLEY-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WENATCHEE...CHELAN...ENTIAT...
CASHMERE...LEAVENWORTH...MAZAMA...TWISP...WINTHROP...STEHEKIN...CONCONULLY...OMAK...OKANOGAN...BREWSTER...BRIDGEPORT...OROVILLE..NESPELEM
1253 PM PDT TUE JUL 22 2014

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPOKANE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR A PORTION OF NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON...
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...EAST SLOPES NORTHERN
CASCADES...WESTERN EDGE OF THE OKANOGAN VALLEY AND WENATCHEE
AREA.

* FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING.

* A MOIST LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE A BAND OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE EAST SLOPES OF THE NORTHERN CASCADES. EMBEDDED IN THIS BAND WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL RATES. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE OVER THE AREA INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

* HEAVY RAINFALL MAY LEAD TO FLASHING FLOODING OR MUD AND DEBRIS FLOWS. THE AREAS OF GREATEST CONCERN WILL BE IN AND AROUND THE RECENT BURN SCARS FROM WILDFIRES THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING BURN SCARS...

THE CARLTON COMPLEX FIRE AFFECTING RESIDENTS...BUSINESSES...AND MOTORISTS IN THE METHOW VALLEY. THIS INCLUDES MOTORISTS ON US HIGHWAY 97 FROM CHELAN TO BREWSTER AND STATE HIGHWAY 153 FROM
PATEROS TO TWISP.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEADTO FLASH FLOODING OR DEBRIS FLOWS. IT TAKES AS LITTLE AS TEN MINUTES OF HEAVY RAIN TO CAUSE FLASH FLOODING AND DEBRIS FLOWS IN AND BELOW AREAS AFFECTED BY WILDFIRES. RAIN RUNS OFF ALMOST INSTANTLY FROM BURNED SOILS...CAUSING CREEKS AND DRAINAGES TO FLOOD AT A MUCH FASTER RATE THAN NORMAL. SOILS IN A BURN SCAR CAN ALSO BECOME UNSTABLE WHEN IT RAINS...SOMETIMES RESULTING IN DEBRIS FLOWS AND FALLING ROCK.

RUSHING WATER AND DEBRIS...INCLUDING TREES AND ROCKS...CAN DAMAGE OR DESTROY CULVERTS...BRIDGES...ROADS...AND BUILDINGS. FLASH FLOODING AND DEBRIS FLOW PATHS ARE UNPREDICTABLE AND CAN AFFECT LOCATIONS THAT ARE MILES AWAY FROM A BURNED AREA.

FOR A DETAILED VIEW OF THE HAZARD AREA VISIT
HTTP://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/WRH/WHV/?WFO=OTX